On Seminars

As an intern at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, I participate in weekly seminars that focus on developing professional skills in a small group setting. Each Wednesday, all the interns gather, and Fran, the lovely intern coordinator, leads us in a discussion of some sort. We have had a visit from Jerry Manning, the producing artistic director, and we were scheduled to have a visit from Ben Moore, my supervisor. But, the week he was scheduled to appear in the intern seminar, he was out sick with the flu. When not hosting guests from various departments, the seminar focuses on things directly concerning the interns. Let's dissect yesterday's seminar. For the fall, all the interns were required to read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. Then we had a round table discussion about the book. This book, published in 2005, posits a specific and not necessarily new theory. Namely, that as various left-brain oriented jobs leave the American workplace due to reasons the author lays down, Americans are moving into the "Conceptual Age" where right brain skills will be highly prized and necessary for success and achievement.

Pink then enumerates "six senses" that he feels can develop a a more evolved right brain , those six senses being design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Now, let me say this: reading this book immediately raised a number of questions for me. The author splits the human brain into two spheres which function differently in regards to a number of stimuli. However, the author fails to acknowledge the fact that the brain needs both spheres to function at all. While an individual may be more adept usign the skills inherent to one half of his brain than the other, that does not mean that the other half of the brain is completely uselss to the individual. I became frustrated when reading the book because I view myself as someone who floats between both hemispheres of my brain. As a theater manager, it is important to me to use the detail-oriented skills that dwell in the left brain. I need to focus and understand each piece of a situation before being able to problem-solve for my organization. I need to be objective when dealing with sensitive situations rather than emotional so that I can select an outcome that is beneficial to as many co-workers as possible. However, at the same time, I am also an artist. I love to create dance theater pieces which allow me the full expression of my body regardless of the story I seek to tell. As an artist, I look at the world around me and see the interpersonal relationships among strangers. I search for the bigger picture. (Right now, I am very much into thinking galactically. Yes, galactically, as in, "How does this one action I have made affect anything that is going on in the universe?") I seek to relate to people not just on a personal level, but also on an emotional level. In this regard, I am very much a right brain individual. However, Pink does not acknowledge individuals such as myself. To him, there are only the right brain people, who will be the leaders of the free world in the new Conceptual Age, and then there are the left brain people who are slowly fading into obscurity. Clearly, I am a bit biased in regards to Pink's bifurcation of human individuals.

What about those of us who do not fit in either box? What about those of us who meander between boxes? What of us? During the intern discussion, my fellow interns pointed out that at some point, you have to choose one area and focus on that specifically. You have to hone your skills in one field so that you can excel. For the record, I do not agree with that statement. I think it's important to have a varied array of interests. I think it is highly important to, as Fran told me when describing Dana the TD here at the Rep, "be a jack of all trades but a master of none." Why is this important? Why do we need to use our whole brains rather than just the half that comes easiest to us? 1. Because that's the way humans are created. You have both halves of your brain. In order to function wholly, you need to use both spheres of your brain. You need to develop logic skills as well as your emotional, holistic skills. 2. It's like exercise. If you focus on only one side of your body without strengthening the other, you become unbalanced. While it may be easier to live in the right brain world, if one chooses to completely avoid any left brain activities, those left brain skills will never fully develop and it'll that much harder when you are required to use those skills. I don't think it is possible to have a position where you solely use the skills on one side of the brain. For better or worse, depending on your personal views, it is essential to use both halves of your brain. I think it is especially important in the theatre to use both halves of your brain. You need to have some understanding of those skills that are not your strong suit even if you have no desire to ever use those skills. The theatre is an industry of collaboration. It is an industry that is founded on community. While it is important to focus on what areas in which you can excel, it is equally important to understand the areas where you do not excel. It's a balancing act. I do not think it is justifiable to simply say, "I'm not good at these skills. Someone else do them." I think that there are ways of using right brain skills to look at and understand left brain problems and vice versa. I think that life is much more interesting when allow yourself to fail, but then learn how and why you failed. Try something different. Dare to be mediocre. I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and discover another side of yourself. A Whold New Mind is a book with a specific perspective, but I don't agree with that perspective. I recommend the book as it's an interesting read, but I think the author has a biased opinion about the rest of the world who do not live in his prescribed boxes.