I've been in theatre productions since my first semester of high school. A word from the wise: Don't join a Drama Club. Here's why.
1. Your cast becomes your worst nightmare.
This family photo just looks so awful, doesn't it? We all look so unhappy. We all hated each other. You can feel the anger and resentment between us.
2. You have to wear the worst costumes.
As you can see, I absolutely hated this kangaroo costume. The look on my face screams, "Get me out of this thing!" It wasn't comfortable at all.
3. You never have fun on stage.
Being on stage is so boring. I never have fun when I'm acting, singing, or dancing. Come see me in a production, and I guarantee you'll never see a smile on my face. Ever. You'll most likely find me trying to stifle a yawn.
4. There are no guys who do theatre.
Nope. Never did a show with him. Ever. Nuh-uh. No way.
5. None of your friends in "real life" do theatre, either.
And making them come to see you in your shows is the most difficult task known to man. It took me forever to get this goofball to come see me in the show I was in at the time.
6. Hair and makeup? What's that?
I thought that theatre involved hair and makeup? Guess not. I mean, look at my natural, bright pink cheeks and perfect skin, or the French braid that braided itself! I was looking forward to the glam. *sigh*
7. You never get your picture taken. Ever.
You do all this work, only to have it go undocumented? What? What do you mean by "no cast pictures" or "no professional photos are being taken during the performance"? The lunacy, I swear.
8. You never become closer to anyone while working on a show together.
It's like I barely know her. Being in shows together for years didn't bring us any closer than we were before. There was never time to bond, you know?
Hopefully, you all caught onto my sarcasm. In all seriousness:
Joining Drama Club was the best decision I've ever made.
This is a photo from my first theatrical production, "The Laramie Project," directed by the late Walter Heinhold. For some reason, Heinhold saw potential in me. I didn't have a second of stage experience. Heck, I could barely handle a solo in choir in the fourth grade, and it kept me from doing things like this for years. This show, these wacky people in the picture with me, and that director became my first impression of theatre, and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. We had an important story to convey to our audiences, and that's what made me fall in love with Drama Club; the fact that, with this platform, we could change a person's point of view, as well as our own, on important topics such as the topics discussed in "The Laramie Project." Theatre is not all about the hair and makeup, the lights, the pictures, and so on; it's about telling a story, sharing a message, and making sure that audience members don't leave the auditorium as the same people they were when they walked in.
Two pieces of advice, from me to you:
1. Join Drama Club
It'll be the best decision you ever make.
2. Don't say "Macbeth" in the theatre.
You will curse the theatre. I accidentally cursed the Auditorium at MassArt the other night when I said it backstage. If you need to refer to this amazing Shakespeare piece, call it "the Scottish play". People will know what you're talking about.
