Innovative Theatre

Contributed by guest blogger of the week, Jonothon Lyons.

Today we finish up our two week run of Petrushka in Philadelphia and head back to New York tomorrow. On Monday I officially begin my life as a member of Blue Man Group. I'll be performing in the show here in in New York at the Astor Pace Theatre until the first week of July at which point I'll be sent off to join the company of one of the other cities: Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, or Orlando.

I don't have a strong desire to leave New York as it has been so beneficial for my growth as an artist over these past six years. I have rarely been for want of a project to be involved in or an event to attend. The people I meet almost every day are some of the most vibrant, committed, hard working, expressive, and caring individuals I'm likely to run into anywhere. And even though I chose to go down a very niche path in the arts, New York has provided me with many vibrant and practical opportunities to pursue it.

In spite of these strong feelings for New York I'm also equally excited by the chance to be exposed to other major cultural hubs. I feel like this is an important time for my artistic development so it is of unquestionable value to me to spend a few years outside the city, finding out what people are up to in other places. Besides, I know I won't be able to stay away for too long.

Training into Blue Man Group has taken me to my limits once again. The rehearsal experience is different from any other show I've worked on and it's been exciting to be pushed in so many new directions. Once again all of my experiences with mask performance, puppetry, and movement have proved vitally important In helping me through the development process.

When I set about to discover and hopefully find work in some kind of alternative theatre, Blue Man became an immediate goal of mine. Finally making it into the show after so many years is basically a dream come true and I look forward to seeing where it takes me.

Thanks for following my entries this week, it's really been enjoyable revisiting some of my experiences. If you're interested in finding out  more about any of the companies I've worked with or want to ask me any questions please check out my website jonothonlyons.com or send an email to jonothonlyons@gmail.com.

Thanks to the Innovative Theatre Awards for promoting and supporting the Off-Off Broadway community, where so many alternative theatre styles are given the opportunity to grow.