Since far too often we only publicly say nice things about people when they are dead I’ve decided to randomly pick a Facebook friend every day and say something nice about them.
May 1, 2019
Today’s person: Ellen Sebastian Chang!
Ellen is one of those powerhouses that seems to have been having a huge impact on theatre all my life. This is obviously not really the case as I think I’m older than she is, but I don’t remember her bursting onto the scene - I just remember her being there, seemingly fully formed, armored, and magnificent.
And scary.
Every time I run into Ellen I know I have to have my A game (which is scary because I know what my A game is, where it is, or if I even have one.) She is an honest, passionate genius who does not suffer fools (which is even scarier in my case because, well, let’s face it, technically...) So informed, so talented, and so ready to call “BULLSHIT!” on any and all bullshit - Ellen is a fierce reminder that life is short, that everything is important, that everything is art, and that art is the hammer with which we can change the world.
I mean - she’s also very nice, but even being in a room with her is like being near a sizzling, recently fallen meteor.