There's something special about being in a close knit department that becomes your family. My specific department has a mentor/mentee program, and with each pairing, another small family emerges from the bigger family. (It's quite a feat to figure out your mentor family tree). For some people, it may not make sense to spend upwards of 40 hours a week with the same group of people and at your own free will, still want to spend more time with them afterwards. As theatre majors, we spend a surprising amount of time with each other. You would think we'd get sick of one another, but at every gathering we greet each other as if we hadn't seen the person in weeks or months, even if it's only been 30 minutes or an hour. Being in an environment like this "forces" you to hang out with people that you never would dream that you'd be friends with.
My class is it's own little family. Since freshman year, we've watched each other grow, seen one another at both high and low points, had our own inside jokes, and stressed out together about tests and assignments. Like all families, we've had our disagreements, but we work through them. We've lost some members of our family and we've gained some, but as a whole, we've stayed tight. I love my class dearly.
Casts are the same way. We spend 24 hours a week rehearsing, and still are able to go out together, even if in smaller groups. Through working in a show, I have made some new friendships and bonds with people who under different circumstances, I'm not sure if we would have naturally became friends. I am so appreciative to be given the opportunity to get to know these people who I may have otherwise never gotten to.
I am very grateful and extremely lucky to have found a theatre family as close as mine is. Not only is it wanting to spend time together outside of what is "required," but it's also the fact that we look out for each other. We make sure that we all are safe and we all feel safe, meaning we don't force each other to do things that we don't feel comfortable doing.
I love my theatre families and the fact that we can spend so much time together because they are honestly some of my closest friends. I believe there's something to be said of the bond of theatre people. The fact that we can spend so much time together in class and rehersals, and still have the desire to spend more time together is something that I'm both thankful and amazed by each and every day.
