June 2022: Let's Live Fully.
CurlyRed president and principal designer M. Kendall Ludwig will be portraying Maureen in the musical RENT next month for Acting Out for Good in Cumberland, MD. Here's what she had to say about living fully:
Being part of this cast has got me thinking a lot about living in New York City in the late 80s/early 90s. It was a scary time, especially in the LGTBQ+ community. No one quite understood AIDS yet, how it is transmitted, and treatment wasn't easily assessable, affordable, or comprehensive. It was basically a death sentence that was disproportionally affecting the poor and marginalized. It makes sense, therefore, that the theme of RENT is "No Day But Today."
When I was 16 and fell in love with this musical, I was happy, healthy, well-adjusted, attending a nice private school and had my whole life ahead of me. And yet, I recognized that "there but for the grace of God go I." I could see that the cast of the musical RENT had been dealt a very different hand than mine own, and yet my life wasn't/isn't any more valuable or important. Regardless of who we are, or where we come from, we are here for a reason. RENT has always inspired me to make the most of my time here on Earth.
Tomorrow isn't promised for any of us, and yet fear drives so many of our decisions and keeps us stuck. What if we took this month to face something that scares us, in order to live more fully? We might be surprised at the good that comes of it.
Categories: