The lights fall upon a cast that has laboriously pieced together the final performance of a show they had fallen in love with, become part of. They take their last look at the audience as the character they have become one with, have grown into. A meek man plays a warrior, suddenly seems to have more pride, an introverted girl plays an outgoing woman, suddenly reaches out to others she has never spoken to before, and in just a few weeks these cast members are radically transformed. The ensemble concludes with the grand finale. Staring at the audience, the curtains slowly come together at the hands of the audience. Slowly, the light goes out for the performers.
In the dark, all the thespians shuffle into the wings, attempting to get back to where they must enter for their final stage bow. This time, however, they are not a character. Their mind is racing. For some, tears are flooding down their cheeks like tsunamis because something in them will be gone when the curtain opens. The light comes up, the curtains separate, and their character has died and returned to the script. The actors hold hands and bow, soaking up the glory of who they once were. The audience's hands come together for the actors, who are overwhelmed by the applause, but also deeply saddened by what has come to a close. This is why the curtain call contains such a mix of emotions.
