And, just to be clear, when I say “spin”, I don’t mean an utter distraction from the facts. I mean a positive perspective on what could otherwise be seen as a problem. Because, when you step back from your problems and start recognizing the opportunities they present you, the stress they’re causing you disappears:

The future of the UC Follies, ladies and gentlemen, is starting with Urinetown. Our first fully student-funded musical in a long time. Our biggest step towards self-sustainability yet.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

See, one by one, most of the powers that be have decided to stop funding the Follies. And I get it: it’s not because they don’t like us, since basically everybody has offered to help us however they can. We’re just currently living through some tough times, both economically and politically, across Canada and the entire world. Not to mention the changes the University of Toronto is starting to undergo with its Towards 2030 plan…

Needless to say, I was stressed. As most of our former financers pulled out because of their own tightened budgets (and our zero-ROI, given our non-profit nature), I found it harder and harder to get a good night’s sleep. I was stressing out about how the cash will come in, how we can pay for the raw materials needed to build our set, or our lighting supplies, props, and other what’s’its that we need along the way to deliver the best show possible.

And then it hit me: Urinetown is a fully student-funded musical, thanks to our one and only sponsor organization, the UC Literary & Athletics Society. This is a first in the recent history of the Follies, and a milestone I was hoping to have the organization hit in the next couple of years. But it’s happening now.

And with that simple change of perspective, bad news suddenly turns into good news… Albeit good news paired with a challenge.

Excuse me while I go sleep like a baby.