Theatre. The word alone makes us all sigh a little bit. For some of us the sigh is for something we don’t like, something we disapprove of. For others, the sigh is for the longing of being on stage or surrounded by cast members. Whether you love it or hate it, theatre is an integral part of the arts and an integral part in society.

For me, Theatre has personally played a heavy role in my life. I grew up watching musicals and stage plays on television screens. When I began performing at the age of 10 at my local Community Theatre, I was hooked. Theatre became an addiction for me. I needed to be on stage, I had to be on stage.

As I got older, theatre began to teach me. Theatre taught me a sense of accomplishment after working hard to hit the right notes in my High School’s Production of Seussical. Theatre taught me how to break out of my shell and make friends. For me, theatre became my label in High School. The words “musical” and “play” became synonymous with the name, Matthew Darling.

As I (seriously) grew older, into adulthood, theatre became the deciding factor for which college I would transfer to when I got that (now infamous- theatre people will get that) call from the theatre professor to come and read for, you guessed it, Seussical (and yes, I’ve already reprised a role).

What I didn't know is how Theatre had, and would continue to, mold me as a student, as an actor, and as a human being.

In High School, theatre was about showcasing a talent and being apart of something bigger, being apart of an art form.

In College, your perspective of theatre shifts dramatically (especially when you decide to major in it).

College theatre is different from any type of theatre you will ever experience. For the first time, you are finally with people that “get it.” You are with people who share your passion in every sense of the equation. You are with people who not only want to "be apart of an art form" but want to create an art form and expand a craft. You are with the type of people you only dreamt about, people who are quirky just like you.

Suddenly your cast members and classmates become your friends, and then they shift to more than that, they become your family. They become the people you have inside jokes with (rich, fish, float). They become the people you trust, sometimes more than your biological family. They become the people that make you soar with laughter on your best days and the people that give you bear hugs on your worst days.

Theatre has, in essence, created who I am. From the minute I walked on a stage at 10 years old, the Theatrical Arts began to shape who I was, who I am. Theatre helped a shy little boy break out of his shell. Theatre instilled in me that any talent worth having takes time, rehearsal, and perseverance. Theatre gave me a passion to follow. Theatre gave me a voice and a purpose for using that voice.

Theatre. Whether you love it or hate it, theatre plays an integral part in who we become as people. Theatre gives us hope, acceptance, a voice, confidence, a safe haven, and a family.

To all the kids who feel like they’ll never find a niche or who think they are different: You are different. You were born different. In theatre we celebrate that difference. It is that difference that sets us uniquely apart but also that difference that brings us uniquely together.

Welcome to Theatre. We are a "no judge" zone. We have cookies, costumes and flamboyant personalities. You may hate the stage make-up, but you'll love the rush of adrenaline pumping through your veins as you "find your light" with your cast-mates, your theatre family.

In the words of the iconic Disney Film, Mulan, “Would you like to stay for dinner? Would you like to stay forever?”

Stay a while. Stay and savor your time being uniquely you. I promise you, there will always be an open stage door and a spotlight on waiting for you to begin your journey or waiting for you to return.

We are a family. From Broadway to Blue Mountain and all in between, we are linked by one passion: Theatre.