Of all of the extra-curricular activities and clubs I have been involved in, the best thing I could have done is chose to be a part of the Thiel Players. For those unaware of what the Thiel Players are, they are the theatre program here at Thiel College. Now I know not everyone has the confidence to be on stage and act, but there are other ways to be involved. Each production relies heavily on every person to chip in. Without our painters, we would have a dull set. Without the run crew, we have no one to set the stage. Without sound and lights, we lose a lot of special effects and proper lighting. Without actors, we have no content to the show.
The theatre taught me the importance of teamwork and how every person can serve a function. I started in theatre in high school as an orchestra member. When I came to college I took a year off but the lure of the performance drew me back in. First I went back to my roots and played in the orchestra. The following semester, I helped to paint the set. This past semester, I got enough gusto to audition for a role and got a supporting character. I have seen how each of these roles help to make a solid performance.
I do have to say acting was the hardest job I had taken. Characters are casted to be a close resemblance of the actor or actress to make the role mesh well. Theatre, in a way, helped me to realize who I was. With each long day of rehearsing lines and remembering my entrances and exits, I immersed myself more and more into the role. I started acting by saying my lines with no emotion or real emphasis behind each word, but overtime I began to put more emotion into each word I spoke and made my part become me.
Even if the play or musical that you get involved in has a set stereotype, it can be broken and made better. When my college did MacBeth, our lead actor took the role of MacBeth and changed it. In most productions, MacBeth is seen as a coward who is easy to set into fear. Our MacBeth decided to change that. Instead, he made MacBeth more courageous and only feared when it was absolutely necessary. With some roles, you can put a part of yourself into it and make it your own.
The best part of any place in theatre is opening night, closing night, and the cast party. Opening night is the first performance and normally sells out first. Anything that could go wrong hangs in your thoughts just to remind yourself what not to do. Closing night is the home stretch of any production. It becomes almost nostalgic due to the fact that it would be your last time reciting those lines or cueing a spotlight. The reality that it is coming to an end settles in and it feels wonderful. The cast party is more than free pizza and beer (for those of age), but it is a celebration of the hard work and effort put into a production. Everyone can be in the company of their fellow classmates from the production and laugh about all the great memories made that no one outside of the theatre will understand.
Theatre brings all walks of life together and helps mold them into personal realization and helps to make people come together that would have never done so before. Before you write off theatre as something you are not suited for, talk to your school or local community theatre director. There is always a place open there for you.
