There’s an unrecognized part of theater that people don’t realize is there. It just so happens that for every little thing that you see and can appreciate as a piece of craftsmanship. Not only did someone make that but someone added all those little details that you can’t even see from your seat in the audience. There are people who work ‘round the clock to create this perfect universe for you to enjoy. They paint and repaint the floor to give it that three dimensional look, they fix every tiny hole in every costume whether or not you can see it. These unappreciated people spend their lives in the theater doing tedious and mundane jobs, so that the actors can have their set and so that the audience can have this amazing experience.
Grunt workers of the backstage do these boring jobs without any thanks and any recognition when the show is over. Spending a good portion of their lives dedicated to making a show great whether or not they get to be remembered for laying the wallpaper just right. Making sure every line was straight, doing and redoing jobs until everything looked perfect. The reason it’s so unappreciated is because people look at these small details and see them as a given. Not realizing that every nail, every paint splatter, every stitch was someone’s time. That stitch, nail and splatter is worth someone’s meal that they skipped, hour of sleep they lost, or time they could have used for a myriad of different things that they needed to do in their lives. But instead used it to make their show perfect. To give the audience the experience they deserve. Because it doesn’t matter how much time they spend in the theater, they’re doing something that they love. It means that much to them, this is what they want, it’s their passion. Even if they want to pull out their hair, cry and give up at times, it’s all worth it in the end.
There’s something so satisfying about finally coming to the end of a show and getting to see everything come together. We wouldn’t change it for the world. So next time you go see a play, take it all in and realize that every little thing on that stage that’s taken for granted, someone made that, someone poured all their time and energy into making it. And that’s something that should really be appreciated.
