Opus Affair July "Musings"

The last show I saw was on March 6, 2020. Strangely, I think about intermission the most. I remember washing my hands, willing intermission to drag a little longer so I could wash my hands for the CDC recommended time before returning to my seat, where I’d sit elbow to elbow with the rest of the audience. After that, I let myself be whisked away by the show, coronavirus didn’t exist in the world of the show and no longer mattered to me. That memory doesn’t feel like four months ago – it feels like an alternate reality. I couldn’t fathom the idea that the show would never get an opening night, that theatre would be empty in a few weeks, everyone on stage and behind it out of work. And here we are.

Even though that was the last live show I saw, that wasn’t the last time I’ve been engrossed in a piece of art. I have to look harder for them, but that euphoria is still there. It’s there in listening to albums all the way through, movies I’d put off seeing, television shows discussed for years, rediscovered cookbooks. While friends remain distant, I’ve relied on them more than ever for their recommendations—what are they reading, watching, eating doing? Can we do them separately, together, and somehow share this experience and while embracing its dislocated joints?

It’s one of the things I love about my friends—I trust them, and they have such interesting, varied tastes. It’s one of the things I love about Opus Affair. We’re a community of people with different tastes, but a common interest—to listen, to taste, to think.

This month, we're trying a new format for our online Opus Affair.

We’ll begin with 30 minutes of our usual cocktail chatter, but after that we’re diving into something more structured, and we want your help.

In a five-minute presentation, share what you’ve been loving.

What’s been inspiring you? What have you been watching, making, enjoying while we continue to find new ways to entertain ourselves? Is it an orchestra bringing concerts into your living room, a great web series, a new hobby, an incredible recipe? Let’s celebrate it together!

• Tell us about it

• How did you find it?

• How can we experience it too?

• Most of all, why do you love it?

We’ll curate at least five presenters to share and you’ll walk away with at least five things to check out.

Sign up to make a presentation here.

I don’t know when I’ll go back to a theater like before. I don’t know when we’ll see each other at a bar again. But we’re still here. We’re still ourselves - tasters and tastemakers. So until we’re elbow to elbow again, let’s lift each other up.

Q&A:

Is it a competition?
No. There are no awards for best presentation. We want to hear what’s inspiring you right now. No bad vibes.

Is this homework?
No. This shouldn’t be stressful. Put as much or as little into this as you want – except for passion. You must bring your enthusiasm!

Is this show and tell?
Essentially, yes.

What should I talk about?
Tell us about something you’ve spent time with during the pandemic that’s made you forget for a minute that we’re living through a pandemic. Share something that’s been inspiring, invigorating, energizing.

• A recipe (the best banana bread?)
• An online fitness class you can’t get enough of
• An incredible docuseries
• An overlooked web series
• A movie from decades ago that you’re just discovering
• A great book
• How you discovered a new hobby
• An arts organization doing incredible things online

What do I have to prepare?
Get ready to share for five minutes. You don’t have to go the whole time, but we ask that you not go longer. You can do a show and tell however you want. PowerPoint presentation, screenshare, song and dance – however you can best express yourself. But don’t stress! This isn’t a competition (see above) and is all about positivity.

Here are some possible inspirations:

• Pecha Kucha
• People Are Loving These Photos From A Party Where Every Guest Has To Do A 3-Minute PowerPoint Presentation
• How To Throw A Zoom PowerPoint Party With Your Friends

Is this an opportunity to promote my own work?
We encourage patrons to do what they do best – love art enthusiastically. If you are an artist, please tell us about your project! 

If I submit, do I get to present?
We’ll curate five to ten presenters to get a diverse range of topics. We’ll email you a week before to tell you if you’re on. But if yours doesn’t fit this month, we may ask you if you’d be willing to present another month.

Community guidelines:

• No heckling
• Positive feedback only
• If you cannot say anything nice, don’t say anything at all
• Any bullying or negativity will result in removal

Sign up to make a presentation here.
RSVP for Opus Affair July "Musings" here.