Barbra Sreisand, You Lied.

I whine a lot in this post. You have been forewarned. (As consolation, I offer a little brain teaser - bragging rights to the first person who can explain the relevance of the blog title. And....GO.)

I hate losing people, feeling them slip between your fingers and knowing you are powerless to stop it. The theater company I spent seven years trying to build into this fantastic theatrical empire (ie, moderately successful storefront) alongside some truly amazing colleagues is closing its doors. Infamous Commonwealth Theatre is no more. And yes, I'm heartsick to see a company that was such a huge part of my life come to such a quiet end. And yes, I'm terrified that in a city littered with thousands of unemployed actors, this is just one more indication that I will never act again. But the main root of my sadness is that I will no longer see all the people associated with the company on a regular basis. For close to a decade, I have acted/sweated/stressed/celebrated/toiled alongside these people. I've looked forward to seeing their beautiful faces at every show/fundraiser/meeting/retreat. Even if we went awhile without contact, all was well because I knew that life would eventually throw them back my way. We had the shared commonality of the theater company to keep us in each others' lives. I considered all of them friends, some of them family. And now, in all honesty, most will become strangers. Everyone has the best of intentions, but that's just how it works in this business. You move on to other projects/companies/colleagues/things, and before you know it, you're wondering how many years it's been since you talked to so-and-so. Simply put, I will miss them.

I feel myself drifting away from other friends too. It's a drift I feared knew would happen, but I find no solace in being right. I would much rather be mocked for being wrong while ensconced in the safety of a thriving friendship. But such is the ebb and flow of life, I guess. All is as it should be. And yet...that is often cold comfort.

Morose post, I know. I'd apologize, but seriously...I warned you. Still, I feel badly...so here's a clue to the brain teaser: Funny Girl.

Now go hug your friends and tell them you love them.