LilyBlog 9/20/12 – On Nostalgia…

I mentioned the theme of nostalgia the other day, and, after some great conversation at rehearsal, thought we’d continue with that topic.  Nostalgia is prevalent in almost every aspect of our society – it’s a major driving force behind our politics (just think of how many politicians reference America’s past or how America “used to be”), our popular culture (how many romantic comedies end with the leading lady choosing to live an independent life, rather than one with her heroic, romantic leading man?), and even major life decisions (“Man, remember when I was single?  That was the best…”).

But what exactly is nostalgia?  In The Lily’s Revenge, Susan Stewart (author of On Longing and a character in the show) defines it as “a sadness without an object, a sadness which creates a longing that is inauthentic because it does not take part in lived experience… the past it seeks has never existed except as narrative.”  During rehearsal today, the cast took on this admittedly complex definition and attempted to explore its nuance and put it into their own words.  What they came up with is, in my opinion, simple, yet elegant: nostalgia is “a longing for something that doesn’t exist.”  This longing can be for something as private as an idealized memory or as public as the appearance (and waist size) of a Vogue covergirl.  But the important thing to keep in mind is that this longing is for something unreal.  Nostalgia at its most insidious can prevent us from living in the moment, and achieving realistic goals.

That isn’t to say that nostalgia is bad and out to destroy us.  Nostalgia can fuel our creativity; art (yes, even good art) can rise from nostalgia.  It also provides us with a way to change our perspective of a situation.  It can also help Don Draper sell Kodak products.

Throughout its journey, the Lily struggles to find a balance between the allure of nostalgia and its destructive capabilities.  How can we keep from losing ourselves in nostalgia, while still acknowledging and learning from days gone by?

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