Last month I went to see the play my father was directing entitled Jekyll and Hyde. It was his second time directing it. When I was about ten he had directed it the first time, and I fell in love. I remember watching it, absolutely enthralled. The characters were so vivid. The acting incredible. The songs were beautiful. It was the first play I became obsessed with, and I had seen many up to that point in my life.

This time around it was equally amazing. On my second time going to see this production, I went with my mom, my parents friend Pauline, and my sister. My sister brought her friend and his daughter. His daughter was ecstatic to see it for the first time. She hadn't stopped listening to the soundtrack, she knew all of the words and had begged him to take her. I remember thinking, "Wow, she's going to have the same experience I had so many years ago."

We found our reserved seats and the production began. Again, I became completely absorbed in everything going on on stage. The characters came to life. The acting was even better than I remembered. The actor playing Jekyll and Hyde transformed into each role, and left the audience stunned. As the curtain came down for intermission I looked over, anticipating seeing the reaction on the little girls face. I was surprised to that she was terrified by the violence, and as soon as the lights came up they left with her. I turned to Pauline and my mother and said, "That's weird. I didn't think this was scary at all when I was around her age." Pauline laughed and said, "That's because you were a theatre brat. You weren't scared because you were used to it. You knew all the actors and understood they were all just playing a part."

That made a lot of sense to me. I had grown up with my parents acting in and directing plays. They took me to rehearsals from the time I was very young. I never really thought of it before as an experience that was different from what other kids experienced. I thought more about it and noticed some experiences I had that only other theatre kids would truly understand.

1. Doing the majority of your homework during rehearsals.

Dragging you to rehearsal was much easier and cheaper than hiring a babysitter. So most of your homework was done while a rehearsal went on in the background. It was a good way to learn how to tune things out.

2. Your parents being otherwise preoccupied during play season.

When there was a play going on, you expected your schedule to be effected. You weren't surprised when one of your parents couldn't pay attention to you because they were busy blocking or learning their lines. It just came with the territory.

3. Being forced to act in A Christmas Carol or some other holiday production, every year.

Bonus theatre brat points if you now can not stand Christmas themed plays. Every year your theatre did a Christmas play, and every year you were involved. It was unavoidable.

4. You probably got as little sleep during hell week as your parents did.

The week before the play goes up, affectionately known as hell week, is a scary time in the lives of everybody involved in a play. And just because it was your parents in the play did not mean you were unaffected. You were either out of the house late into the night, or busy staying out of your parents way. It was exhausting.

5. Theatre people don't hold back. You learned about plenty of things you shouldn't have known about, long before your time.

Every theatre kid has learned at least one new thing from a cast member. Usually it is something your parents would have preferred you did not know about.

6. Cast parties are great things. However, you probably didn't appreciate just how much fun they were until you were much older.

When you're a kid it's fun, but honestly you could take it or leave it. But when you're a little bit older, and able to participate more, you realize what a blast it is.

7. While your friends were listening to the latest pop hits, you were singing along to the soundtracks for "The Producers," "Cabaret," "Sweeney Todd," "Mamma Mia," and other famous musicals.

Whether it was uncool or not, every theatre brat had at least a handful of plays they could sing along to in their entirety. And honestly, mainstream music couldn't hold a candle to the passion in some of those songs.

8. In fact, you may have been a little more dramatic than the other kids growing up.

You were constantly exposed to actors, chances are it rubbed off on you.

9. Always being recruited for jobs when help was needed.

Often the theatre needed help, and that's where you came in. You have most likely had to pass out flyers, help your parents with their lines, or helped backstage on more than one occasion.

10. Feeling like you owned the place during intermission.

While all of the other peasants had to stay out front during intermission, you could walk backstage without a problem. You called the director "dad" and knew a lot about every one of the actors.

11. Naked bodies never bothered you. You had seen it all back stage.

People are not afraid to change out in the open backstage. Outside of the theatre, modesty was not something you understood. Changing in the locker room was not something that fazed you.

12. You knew the plays inside and out before opening night. Even if you had never seen it in consecutive order before.

You may not have seen an entire run-through of it, but by the time it was finished you knew the play backward and forward. You knew all the songs, and probably many of the lines.

13. Begging your parents to direct your favorite plays.

I mean, now I understand that it would be impossible to turn Grease 2 into a stage play and get the rights to perform it in your community theatre. But that didn't stop twelve year old me from begging my father to try.

14. You know damn well the drama that goes behind the scenes. Even if you didn't really want to know.

There is drama in every production. And having a parent involved in the play-making process, you were very aware of that. You knew who had beef with who, and who was acting like a diva. You knew everything.

15. Taking theatre classes in college was a piece of cake. You already knew everything they were teaching you.

It was an easy A. Your professor talked about things that you had already experienced from a young age. Things that you had heard your parents talking about all your life.

16. You have at least one role you're dying to play.

When I was young it was Little Orphan Annie. Now it is Sally Bowles, Rizzo, or Eponine. Every theatre kid has that play they are dying to be in, and that character they would kill to play.

17. Being in a theater automatically makes you happy.

It doesn't matter if it's empty, it's your happy place. When I was shown the theatre in Theatre 101, I wanted desperately to stay there. It has that smell that all theatres have. It just feels homey. Other theatre brats know what I mean.

18. You wouldn't have had it any other way.

All of these experiences made you who you are. Even if there are downsides, the positives outweigh them. You are a theatre brat through and through. And who are you kidding? You freaking love it.