I had the delight of seeing an original off off show last night downtown, entitled I 'heartsymbol' Kant. It was darn good. The Committee Theatre Company produced it. It was provocative and well directed and performed. (I hope I win the video ipod in the raffle.) The technical operating system was completely Mac digital and as one element a new song at the top of each performance. Last nights was Nick Cave's "Far From Me." I liked the dark and the light of the piece and its allusion to the philosophy of Kant in the guise of four New Jersey women in that awkward 20's to 30's transition of life and the ridiculous to the sublime that is happiness. (http://www.thecommitteetheatre.org/)
Immanuel Kant defines human "happiness" in terms of a complete well being and contentment with one's condition." He states that, " the concept of happiness is such an indeterminate one that even though everyone wishes to attain happiness, one can never say definitely and consistently what it is that he really wishes and wills." Later Kant wrote, " Happiness is the satisfaction of all our desires, extensively, in respect of their manifoldness, intensively, in respect of their degree, and protensively, in respect of their duration."
Okay so what that means to me, humble theatre goer and art maker and appreciator is that we are all responsible for our own happiness, to whatever degree we truly and truthfully desire. If you think I understood that during the late 20's and early 30's of my life? Not a chance. I was too wrapped up in thinking that I needed to keep everyone happy around me belying my own happiness. Seeing it down front and center last night was great fun and a fabulous reminder. We create it by our very hearts desire and maintain it by keeping it real or truthful for ourselves for just as long as we wish.
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