The World’s a Stage

With my usual sharp connection to the cutting edge of pop culture, I recently came across the great song by The Decemberists, I Was Meant For The Stage, which was only released in 2003. I had been researching possible intro/outro music for my play THE BOY WHO DID NOT LISTEN TO HIS MOTHER, currently playing in the Best of PlayGround Festival, and a chill went through me when I discovered this song. I couldn’t find a decent music video performance by the band itself, but discovered a couple of covers that intrigued me. The thing that really got me is how, with the advent of YouTube, we now have worldwide access to the dreams and ambitions of kids who, in the very act of posting their videos, are acting out the message of the lyrics. There was a time when performers had to actually venture out into the world and find a stage on which to connect with their audience — and yes, yes, that’s still true and unavoidable — even desirable. Except, today, it’s also true that these kids can bring the world into their bedrooms and open their hearts to us by performing songs that speak of their dreams, as this one does with such clarity and affirmation. Maybe it took me five years to find this song, but so glad that I did. And here are two of those intimate performances.