A look in the mirror - Shawn's Sense with Shawn Loughlin

For those of you who read my review of The Farm Show: Then and Now last week, you’ll know that I took a bit of a “meta” approach to it. The actors said they were actors playing actors playing farmers, so I thought it fitting that I be an editor serving as a reporter pretending to be a theatre critic.

 

So, I did what any narcissistic writer would do, which is write himself into his own review.

 

Have you seen the movie Adaptation? Nic Cage was nominated for an Oscar for playing twin brothers Charlie (a somewhat fictional portrayal of the actual screenwriter and the man behind Being John Malkovich) and (his non-existent twin brother) Donald Kaufman. The former is working to adapt The Orchid Thief, a real book written by Susan Orlean, into a movie, and struggling to find the story.

 

After a number of false starts, he takes one step back at a time to craft his story, including him adapting the book and then Orlean writing the book, the story in the book itself and then eventually to the beginning of time. 

 

At first he thinks he’s getting somewhere but then confesses to Donald how badly he’s failed along with some choice words for himself.

 

“I’ve written myself into my screenplay,” Charlie tells Donald. “It’s self-indulgent. It’s narcissistic. It’s solipsistic. It’s pathetic. I’m pathetic. I’m fat and pathetic.” I only wish I had someone like Donald to support me as I was writing my review. “I’m sure you had your reasons, Charles. You’re an artist.”

 

Indeed, I violated that most sacred of rules of journalism - at least in most contexts - and used the word “I” to refer to myself.
I think there’s a bit of wiggle room within community journalism for such a transgression - you see, most people who read The Citizen know me and the other members of the staff in at least one way or another. In my case, a lot of you have watched me grow into the role. I’ve been here for 18 years now. I started with The Citizen when I was just 24 years old. As a man who is now in his forties with a wife, two children and a house, I’ve been on the street talking to you, running into you at events and working with you on stories for a long time. 

 

That’s why I’ve been a bit more liberal than I ever thought I would be about including pictures of my kids in the paper. Not only are they proper members of the community attending local events, but I always hear positive stuff from you all when they’re included. It gives readers a chance to keep up with them. And, frankly, I’m proud to see them growing up in this community and taking part in all of the things that I enjoyed covering before they came along, like Blyth Festival Art Gallery shows, local sports, homecoming celebrations,  and the list goes on and on.

 

Anyway, back to me making a review about a seminal work of Canadian theatre as much about the original creators and the current Blyth Festival cast as I did myself. 

 

It happens, you know. It happens.

 

It felt like the right way to document my experience of seeing a show whose reputation certainly preceded it - at least in my life as a young man trying to learn about life in Blyth and the story of a small community that could support its very own, unique theatre. Honestly, I never thought I’d get a chance to see The Farm Show performed live, so that was a real treat. And to experience it in such a unique forum, in the company of the people who created it all of those years ago, was special. 

 

Was the review self-indulgent, narcissistic, solipsistic and pathetic? Perhaps you could look at it that way. I certainly do, but I hope that you liked it anyway!