I stood there in the dark, hearing nothing but the deafening sound of almost thirty hearts beating out their chest. The curtain began to rise and I could feel the lights hit, exposing us to the entire crowd. All at once, the hum of the crowd began to twirl with the ring of the first note hit on the piano. And after that, nothing was ever the same.
Everyone has an escape in this world, some people find it in writing, some in reading, or maybe in some sort of sport, they take part in. I was lucky enough in high school to find my outlet through theatre. Theatre to me was so much more than putting on a face and walking in front of others to say a few lines and then some.
At the first show I ever attended, I found the theatre to be almost like a form of magic. It has the ability to grab the people in the audience and take them far away from their daily life struggles for those two, maybe three, hours. You get to connect with them and learn from the lessons they teach you.
But it wasn't until I was able to be a part of a cast that I learned that you are constantly learning on the stage as you are off. Day in and day out we were on stage perfecting our scenes, songs and dances in order to give the people coming to a good show. But little did everyone know, we weren't just building the world through the songs and scenes; we were the ones also creating the physical world behind us.
After rehearsals came hours upon hours of making sets for us to run around on. The first day I was informed that I was going to be having a share in building something I thought everyone was crazy. But nowadays, I know I'm fully capable of at least controlling a screwdriver.
Something that doesn't get highlighted enough though in regards to the theater is the bonds that are created behind the curtain. People fail to recognize that the people that are sharing the stage together have been together for 5 months straight, 40 hours a week. I saw these people more than I saw my own family.
The thing was, though, this close little niche that felt so guarded against the rest of the world was my family. We saw each other at our worst and at our best and no matter what, we all had one another's backs. No one laughed harder with me when I messed up, but on the same hand, no one hugged me more or cheered me on as much as my thespian family did.
For two years, I surrounded myself with some of the most talented people I have ever come across. And not only were they talented, but they were the most accepting and loving human beings I've ever met. If I had a question or a doubt, they wouldn't just give me a simple answer, they would drag me to the stage and walk me through it.
No family could ever replace the one I have at home, but my thespians will forever hold a close second. Theatre brings together all kinds of people for a good show, but next time you go perhaps you'll wonder about the people on the stage and ask yourself, what did this show bring them? Cause I certainly know what Midlakes Theatre Experience brought me.
