The theatre has always been something I saw myself as an outsider looking in until I came to college. The whole theatrical world is so incredibly interesting to me, and once I was able to join it I realised how much of a family the community is. My closest friends to me now are 95% from being a part of the theatre community at my school and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
Theatre from its very beginnings has imitated the outside world around it. And what's most amazing about this imitation is that in so many shows the thing a show imitates is timeless. Everyone has wanted a certain job/role hoping they get it, everyone has been frustrated by the number of bills they have to pay, everyone has seen just people be hurt for simply who they love, everyone has wondered 'what if', everyone has been unsure who to vote for of the lesser of two evils. All of these things have been reflected in shows, there's at leas one show out there for someone to relate to somehow and it's amazing to think that possible.
Not only is the theatre a place to goof around and pretend to be other people, but it's a place to push boundaries, make life long friends, and grow in ways you never thought you could. I have felt some of the purest forms of so many emotions all thanks to the theatre. Most recently I have felt pure happiness seeing the show I've been stage managing go through its run. Often I'll hear our directors talking about the difference in a cast and a company, anyone can be in a cast but when everything clicks just right cast will become a company and a family. The first time I experienced this was over the summer, and I feel I just had again with Henry IV Part One, that closed yesterday. There's a bond that forms with a company that can't really be explained, and maybe it happened with this cast from our group dance sessions before every show but it's a bond I'm so happy I got to share with this cast and crew.
There were a lot of new faces working on this show, especially with the crew many nights (including during a performance) I'd hear "I don't know what that means" after asking someone to do over headset, but we worked through it together and I can only hope that my whole crew come back to work on more shows because I love and appreciate every single one of them.
To the Cast and Crew of Henry IV Part One, we did it! It was a great show, and I already have my usual post-show depression.
