This originally appeared in Patch.com after a request for arts-related posts from local theater professionals.
I'm going to brag for just a minute. Last night, I got to go see Rick Bayless in Cascabel at Lookingglass Theatre. Not only did I get to see Rick Bayless in Cascabel, I got to eat amazing food while watching Rick Bayless in Cascabel.
For those of you who have no idea who or what I am talking about, Mr. Bayless is a celebrity chef. He's collaborated with Lookingglass Theatre to create a show that combines storytelling, music, acrobatic movement, and his signature Mexican cuisine into an evening that's both entertaining and incredibly tasty.
When a very generous friend invited me to go experience this event with her, I agreed not knowing exactly what to expect. I know a couple of people who are working on the show, but I'd only heard bits and pieces about what the production was all about. While I wouldn't say that Cascabel is the sort of production that will change your life forever, it is the sort of production that will change your life for the evening. It was the most fun I've had at a show in a long time, and there's something to be said for that.
There's also something to be said for a successful guy like Rick Bayless going out on a limb. He's not an actor. He's a chef and a darn good one. I suspect he's doing just fine with his best-selling cookbooks, successful restaurants, long-running TV show, and Top Chef win. There's no need to do something this risky--not only is he cooking in this production, he's acting in this production.
Mr. Bayless plays a cook who says more with his food than he does with his words, so clearly the show was created keeping his limited acting experience in mind. Still, he's playing an important part, and doing something so different can be very unnerving no matter what it is you set out to do.
While I don't think Chicago's top actors need to be concerned that Mr. Bayless is going to snap up all of the great acting jobs in town, I do think all of us can take a lesson from him in the value of trying something new. It's easy to get complacent no matter what your role is in the world. To see a guy as famous as Rick Bayless willing to fall flat on his face is a reminder that taking a risk can be a positive (and fun!) thing to do.
A lot of our actors over here at the Theatre of Western Springs aren't that different from Rick Bayless really.
To the best of my knowledge, our actors are not famous chefs. However, they are lawyers, doctors, administrative assistants, teachers, handymen, fitness instructors and just about every other profession you can think of. Some of them have had a lifelong hobby of acting and others are trying it for the first time. What they (and Mr. Bayless) all have in common is the desire to experience what happens when a bunch of talented people come together and try to create the magic of theatre.
That kind of collaboration is definitely what I love most about working in the performing arts, and it's what I love about our volunteers. While I can't experience Cascabel every night, I do get to experience the fun of making our own theatrical magic. That's a pretty good deal in my book.