Theatre means a lot to me.
It is not only an escape and an outlet for me, but it is learning life skills and lessons and empathy. And I did not choose this lifestyle because of the fluff pieces. Sure, fluffy pieces of theatre are fun from time to time and they have good morals, but that's not what I do this for. I do it for the raw stuff. I do it for Dog Sees God and The Crucible. I do it for Machinal and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and 'Night Mother. Jesus Christ Superstar and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. These are more alternative pieces that push the boundaries of theatre and show something different - something deeper.
These shows make you think. These are shows that have deepened my perspective and changed how I think. Shows with substance that aren't afraid to step on toes. And sometimes humans need their toes to be stepped on in order for us to progress as a human race, don't you think?
I am a realistic person. I like to say what I mean and limit unimportant words. I don't like small talk, and I like simple sentences. I like to get work done, and I like to only say important things. This is why I like to only write important articles and try to limit my "silly" articles and share real opinions. Alternative theatre...understands me. Sometimes we are loud. Sometimes we are harsh, and sometimes we hurt feelings with the truth.
Dog Sees God touches on religion, suicide, sexuality, and so much more. The Crucible shows how thin the line between people and animals are. Machinal touches on oppression and violence. Curious Incident deals with mental illness. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf touches on familial success and marriage. 'Night Mother displays mental illness and suicide. Jesus Christ Superstar is about Judas' perspective in the Bible. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock concert hosted by a woman with a botched sex change operation. These are not "fluff pieces." These are pieces that you should see and that more community theatres do so that the community can learn more about the complexities of life.
Happy endings aren't real.
You need to see shows where happy endings aren't exactly the outcome. We need our toes to be stepped on, and we need to open our eyes. Don't get me wrong, we still need shows with happy endings. We need escapes and we need to be made happy, but you can't limit yourself to that. Get out of your comfort zone. We all need it.
