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I've been practicing the art of theatre for over thirty-five years. The effect of television and film has crippled the audience's ability to engage in verisimilitude, the willing suspension of disbelief, catharsis, and empathy. Because we can't go back, the theatre is constantly asked to create grander and more ridiculous spectacles. While these virtual spaces are not going anywhere, and as you said, we can't go back, it is important to learn to sit in a room and watch a story unfold sans pageantry. Both iterations of story have their place, both are important, but we need to remember to practice simplicity, listening, and imagination.

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Yes, agreed. We can't go back, but certain practices and goods can still be sustained and even preserved, perhaps at a smaller, more modest scale.

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Lot to chew on here. I've been thinking about the work/home life balance lately. I have two managers who seem to bring their dysfunctional home lives into work, thereby dragging everyone else down, where I have the opposite problem: my home life is great, and I struggle to not bring work back home with me. Which has me wondering, when I inevitably switch to software engineering, will I be able to continue to keep my work/home life separate? Is that even what I am supposed to be doing? Where is the balance? It's a lot to consider, but what I appreciate about your writing here is less about dogmatics, and more about prudence and wisdom.

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All good questions. And, I appreciate that, glad it comes across that way. Also, different people will bring a different set of goods and aims to these questions, of course. Best wishes as you personally navigate these issues.

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Much to think about here. 'A facebook metaverse a fully commodified resource, every moment of silence a reason for someone else to think louder.' How do we preserve ways of being not dominated by the market? Thank you for yet another interesting discussion. I find I need to reread this and think about it more. Does the framing of media, it's very fast, does it reduce open-ended discussion and is there a rush to summarize and even come to glib conclusions? I don't know.

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Sep 9, 2021Liked by L. M. Sacasas

Really great, really clear, and on point. Really dark too.

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