Every once in a while, a community finds a unifier - a crisis, an event, even just a person that brings people together. Even a group with common goals and interests needs an occasional rallying point to remind us that there are others like us, that while we are individuals, we are not alone. Sometimes we just need a little nudge to get out of the shell and join our tribe.
Norman and Tommy came to Portland about five years ago, and the theatre community will never be quite the same. Open and loving, fun and accepting, they shared a spirit that just made you want to be around them. Actors, musicians, techies - all were welcome in Norman and Tommy's circle, and all were better for it. They brought the community together just by being themselves in a way that a rare few have over the years.
The couple lived life as most of us in Portland theatre do, plugging away at a day job while rehearsing and performing in the evening and weekends. Talented and charismatic, they were popular performers in musical theatre around the area. They settled into a comfortable apartment in the Pearl District and adopted a miniature pinscher loaded with personality named Godzilla. They explored the parks, shops and restaurants. Especially restaurants. They loved Portland, and Portland loved them. They had found home – and their comfort zone.
This spring, an opportunity came along for Tommy. He was hired by a South Carolina company that manufactures light fixtures. He was to be a Brand Ambassador, introducing the company's products to builders, architects and retailers.
In New York.
The comfort zone was about to be compromised.
The transition did not happen all at once. Tommy had training in South Carolina, and then a short stay in New York - during which he secured a short-term sublet in Brooklyn - before starting the new job full time. Norman was cast in Broadway Rose's summer production of "The Music Man", thus requiring him to stay into the later part of July. They packed. Tommy left and came back. They packed some more. There were gatherings of friends saying goodbye. Tommy left and came back again. They sold or gave away many of their belongings. They shipped most of the rest. Music Man opened. Tommy left again, this time taking Godzilla with him.
Norman said goodbye to the day job, finished packing and shipping, and left the Pearl District apartment. He settled into a friend's condo nearby for his final few weeks in Portland. Now a man of leisure, he determined to soak in as much Portland as he could. He visited favorite places and some he had never gotten around to. He explored the city in the glory of a Portland summer. And he enjoyed as much of Portland's food culture as he could, meeting friends at favorite restaurants for one last nosh before leaving town. I was one of these.
We sat in a tiny booth at Maurice, a tiny bistro with tiny, incredible food. I asked Norman how he was preparing, emotionally, for a huge leap out of his comfort zone. "I haven't been, really. My main goal is to soak up as much of Portland as I can. I'm trying to take advantage of having time on my hands by revisiting all the special places we've found here."
Of course, this is not the first time the pair has changed cities. But when Norman and Tommy came to Portland from Southern California, Norman had been ready to leave. He had grown up there and was at a time in his life when moving on seemed natural and timely. This time, the excitement was more for where they were going to than what they were leaving behind. Suddenly, Norman was the child with a favorite toy that was about to be taken away. He was getting in all the play time he could.
Norman had a good day job in Portland. In New York, he had nothing lined up. It's sort of an actor's dream, really – a move to the big city with a supportive partner who can keep you afloat for a while as you hit the audition trail. And that was about as much of a plan as they had.
Well, sort of. "Well, first of all, we have to find a permanent apartment." he said, "The sublet is only for a few months. And it's in Brooklyn." Then there's all the practical task that come along with moving - getting stuff out of storage and setting up the household. Discovering the basics of the neighborhood, like where to buy groceries, do laundry, walk Godzilla.
There are also friends to connect with in the new city. Tommy and Norman are, of course, not the first actors to move to New York. In recent years, there has been a small migration of young theatre professionals from Portland. So, being who they are, Tommy and Norman already have a circle of friends waiting for them when they land. Even before they set up camp, the social calendar is filling.
Once the house and life in New York is set up, the real adventure begins for Norman. Auditioning, networking, auditioning some more, learning what he needs to do to get on stage in a much bigger pond. Because being a professional in New York is a bigger challenge than being one in Portland.
"So you do have a plan." I point out."The first thing you're going to do is set up a comfort zone."
"I never really thought of it that way, but yeah - you're right." The apartment, life with Tommy, the friends, even Godzilla. All of these are part of a strategy to establish a home base. Even the research Norman talks about into what he needs to do to establish himself artistically is a way to allay the anxiety that comes hand in hand with stepping outside the zone.
So what do take from my time with Norman? That the comfort zone is important, even necessary. It gives us a home base from which to venture out, and harbor to which we can return. That before we take a leap, it helps to have a solid platform from which to jump.
But adventure begins when you step out of the zone.