Holiday Shows to Boost Your Creativity
Posted by Guest Writer in 
By Danielle White
Stressin’ out about the holidays? I know I am. My suggestion? I’m glad you asked. Quit wrestling with that slightly crooked tree. Put the cookie dough back in the refrigerator. Stop worrying about what you’re going to get your mother-in-law. And go see a live performance!
I recommend the theater not only as a brief getaway from that dreadful To-Do list, but also as a source of inspiration. A chance to witness someone else’s written words acted, sung, danced, and otherwise played out by living, breathing characters is downright magical. An outing after the show is a great way to top off the evening. Sharing thoughts and/or criticisms with your friends, family member, or miscellaneous loved one over dinner/drinks/coffee (or all of the above) is a key part of the experience.
Here’s what caught my interest this year:
The Nutcracker
A ballet based on “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” a story written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. If you want to go big and fancy, you can. The Boston Ballet puts on the performance every year, but there are smaller productions that are a bit easier on the wallet. For example, I attended a show at Mechanics Hall in Worcester for just 22 bucks per seat.
A Christmas Carol
A play or musical based on the novel by Charles Dickens. I saw it at the Hanover Theater in Worcester and their production keeps time with the classic while the Trinity in Providence puts on an adaptation which takes place in the 1950s. They also have a performance titled It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.I haven’t seen this one, but I would really like to check it out.
Quidam
A performance from Cirque du Soleil. Tickets for this sucker are pretty pricy, at least in my immediate area. I’m new to the Cirque so I can’t say a whole lot firsthand but it does carry some pretty outstanding reviews.
Tickets to live entertainment make a great gift as well (not to mention one that requires little to no wrapping). Last year I bought my dad tickets to Chan’s, a Chinese restaurant in Woonsocket that has various blues bands performing every weekend, year round.
When I go to a show and really enjoy it, I walk away feeling emotionally charged. It’s like there’s this rush that transfers to me from the stage. As a writer, I can’t create without that spark so when I get home I usually do some free writing; or if I feel particularly inspired, I cut right to the chase and pull up a piece that I’ve been working on. Art is the input and output of energy. Those of us who enjoy creating art may also benefit from acting as a spectator from time to time.
How about you guys? Does seeing a live performance inspire you to create? Any specific shows that boost your creative energy?
Danielle White lives and works in central Massachusetts. She graduated from Franklin Pierce University in 2009 with a BA in English. She has since been published in 2 literary magazines, City Lines and Student At Large. Apart from reading and writing, she enjoys sipping a well-made martini, buying shoes, and sleeping in.
I’ve actually never thought about this. Kind of surprising since I spent close to a decade in theater.
This may sound weird–if so, feel free to let me know–but I feel inspired to write when I watch stand-up comedy. I’m laughing, of course, but I’m also thinking about the genius of this person with the ability to not only produce new material but hilarious material. Writing is hard. Being funny is harder.