I write about theatre a lot, I know, but it’s one of the most important things in my life, and I want to let everyone know. The theatre has always been a special place for me; it has fostered a great deal of my personal growth and has allowed me to meet so many amazing people.
I often get the feeling people refuse to go to the theatre because they feel like it is elitist, or they feel uncomfortable there. But the thing is, the theatre is for everyone. Coming from someone who is inside the theatre community, we want you to come join us. My sister is not really a theatre person, and so often when I’m in shows, I ask myself if she’ll like it. I genuinely want her to feel included in the experience and enjoy what she is watching.
We want patrons of all kinds because we want our work to reach as many different kinds of people as possible. Granted, I have been in shows that reach a very particular audience, but for the most part we want everyone to come! Theatre is something anyone can do, regardless of ability, race, gender, etc. We love our audiences to reflect the diversity we strive to achieve all the time within our community.
Come to the theatre. Please. Take a couple of hours out of your evening, clear your mind of all your worries and just sit and watch and listen. But, please, be open. Be open to new experiences and stories which differ from your own. We want to tell as many different stories as possible, and sometimes you just won’t be reflected in those stories, so be open. Just take it all in. You may learn something new if you just allow yourself to be open. Don’t come to the theatre with any preconceived notions of what you might see. Just watch—have a blank slate.
I have always been told that the theatre is where people come to feel something when they cannot feel it on their own. It is a way to connect people because everyone is sitting in one room experiencing the same performance, yet you will all feel something different. How cool is that?
The theatre has always been a place I go to escape, whether it be as a performer or audience member. I hope that, even if you’re not a “theatre person,” you will go to the theatre as much as you can to witness our stories and be a part of our world.
