I’ve been on this earth for almost 31 years. I have been acting, or doing technical theatre, on and off, for 22 of those years. I have played a wizard, an evil pirate, a man made out of tin, a historical figure, a badly beaten and disfigured “preacher”, a mobster, an alcoholic priest, a member of a barbershop quartet, and even a fairy godmother. I have been 5 different characters in a show before (on two different occasions). I have had people watch me and laugh, cry, stand and applaud, jump for joy, cheer, and quietly think deeply about what they just watched. I have moved houses, brought in curtains, brought in confetti (even 5 pounds of it I wasn’t supposed to), done quick changes (both for myself and other people), made the music from under the stage, pressed buttons to make sounds happen or lights change, and, most recently, said GO 340 times to make all of the above happen at the same time.
It’s always interesting to hear people’s reactions when I tell them that I do theatre. It can range anywhere from, “That’s so cool!” to “I don’t know how you memorize all of those lines” to “I could never stand up in front of all those people and talk, or dance, or sing.” I usually just smile and say, “thank you” or “I’m so glad you enjoyed it.” But lately, and by lately I mean like the last year or so, I’ve gotten the question of why? “Why do you do theatre? Why do you go through hours of rehearsal and even more outside of rehearsal doing theatre? Why do you pursue such a risky field as a career?” “Why do you do what you do?” All questions asked to me by others, but also myself. Here’s the answer to that…
Now, before I get to the answer, here’s a little bit of a look into what we do in the theatre (this is strictly from an actor standpoint since that is what I last did. Also I realize that this is different for every actor/actress and location. This is all from the last show that I did). I want to make this fact completely clear…I am NOT saying this to pat my own back, or brag how we actors/theatre people work soooooo hard. I know that in the end this is fun and being a doctor is way harder and very important. This is more of an answer to “How do you do all of that?” We prepare for an audition, which is quite possibly one of the most stressful things in this business. If we get called back we go do that, and then we wait. Waiting for a cast list is such a long, slow process. If you get to see your name on the cast list, you get super excited for like a second then you have to be ready for a rehearsal. You rehearse for 3-4 hours a day, everyday. You learn a script, learn how to be someone completely different than you are, learn how to interact with someone you hardly know and make the people in the audience feel like you’ve known each other for years, and make it look all look and feel believable. Then you go home and memorize your lines. You spend hours pacing in your room putting someone else’s words into your head, all while remembering where you are supposed to be and sometimes you have to sing and dance on top of all that. This memorizing is done at different levels of correctness (sorry Director and Stage Manager and ASMs!). You do this for a few weeks then you go into tech where you get thrown lighting and sound effects and costumes and makeup. Then you do run thrus with notes afterwards and get home at 11:30 (if you’re lucky) and then do it all again. This is all on top of your “real” job, school, homework, being an adult, raising a family, sleeping, and eating (again…if you’re lucky).
“Why do I do what I do?”
IT changes people - Last year, the Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen swept the nation. It is a beautiful piece of work that is led by the amazing Ben Platt. If you ever watch Ben in an interview on TV, he is so awkward. He looks so uncomfortable and looks like he hates people looking at him. But, if you ever see him perform, his whole persona changes, and it is not just because of the character he is playing, but because when he steps on a stage and the lights turn on, he is transformed. There is something about performing that just changes people. I’ve seen it right in front of me. I’ve seen shy kids open up and show who they are on the inside; confident people who want to just light up your life. It changes me. I can’t explain it, but I am in a whole other world when I’m performing. Yes, I’m in the world of the play, but my whole life changes when I do a show. I get transformed into a world that has a meaning and a goal and people to reach that goal with. There is something about meeting people for the first time and within two months you are pouring out your hearts and souls with them to a room full of strangers.
It CHANGES people - At its most basic, it just changes people’s lives in how they work in the world. Theatre makes you work in a group, work with deadlines, makes you a better public speaker, makes you learn responsibility, organization, time management, communication, dealing with people, conflict management, taking direction, working within a hierarchy, and a myriad of other skills that just make you a better person in the world (and in other professions). I will often advise people who like theatre but don’t want to major in it to AT LEAST minor in it. More and more people are noticing all of the positive aspects of people who do theatre and how they can help their companies. In fact, my boss has told me that one of the big reasons why I got my job is because of my background in technical theatre, and stage managing.
It changes PEOPLE – Almost everyone I know has been changed by seeing a show. Now, most of the people I hang around are theatre people, so that’s a given, but I know so many people who can still remember the first show they saw, or the first time they realized that theatre was what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives, or remember a time that the show they saw reminded them of their own lives and helped them through a tough time. Watching other people, whether they are real or not, go through the same issues you go through and succeed, or fail miserably but still exist, really changes people. While I realize there are a lot of shows that are created just to make people say “Wow” from spectacle, or make them laugh for a few hours, there are a lot of shows that make you really think about life. I’ve had so many post-show conversations with people that don’t talk about how good someone did, but instead about the messages the show is trying to give. About how characters mirror their own lives and how they see certain situations in a different light. Even a show like Avenue Q, as crazy and crass as it is, has a few messages in it. Most shows really make you think about something and that is so amazing. Theatre has really changed the lives of so many people, whether they know it or not!
It brings people together. I’d say that 90% of the people that I love the most in this world, I have met because of theatre. Whether I met them onstage, because they were in my crew, or in a theatre class of mine in school, theatre has brought us all together. Because of all the things I mentioned before, doing a show together will naturally bring you closer to the people you share a stage with. There is just something special about a theatre bond. You’ve worked so hard together, you’ve shown each other that you are there for them, you have been able to bear your soul in front of them for weeks and it just creates a beautiful connection. While there are some I see all the time (four of my best friends worked for the first show I ever Stage Managed), there are others that I have not seen for years, but I know that we always have theatre to connect us. The majority of my amazing memories of my time on earth are because of theatre and I wouldn’t trade anything for that. My entire wedding party is filled with theatre people, which will make for an amazing reception. Also, no, I am not getting married anytime soon, you haven’t missed anything.
It HELPS people. Probably my favorite comment after a show was when I was doing The Wizard of Oz. There was an older lady who came up to me, obviously she came to bring her grandchildren to enjoy something that was good for them to watch. She came over to me, shook my hand and placed the other one on my shoulder, looked in my eyes and said, “I watched this movie when it was in the movie theatres. It was my favorite movie when I was growing up. You all made me feel like I was a little girl again.” Just. Wow! Theatre can really take people away from their troubles, even for just a couple of hours. Theatre can make people think about their own lives and possibly help them through a tough time by watching someone else go through it with them. Theatre can challenge people’s thoughts and truly change their outlook on life. Theatre can touch so many people, no matter who you are, you can get something from a show.
It’s a SELFLESS act - Now, stay with me on this one, it may be hard to see at first. A lot of people look at actors/actresses or celebrities and see people who just love the limelight and being the center of attention. And to be honest, yes, it’s a lot of fun being in the spotlight, center stage, getting a standing ovation from an adoring crowd, and getting praise for a job well done. But doing theatre is so selfless. Remember everything I said earlier about what goes into making a show? And that was just from the perspective of an actor. Directors, Stage Managers, Assistant Stage Managers and all of the designers put in so much work before the first word is even spoken by an actor, and late nights are had from all to make what you see happen. The number of people who put in hundreds of hours to put on a 2-3 hour show for the enjoyment of others is truly a selfless act. It’s even more selfless for those behind the scenes because they rarely get any recognition or praise from the fans. The audience knows that someone makes everything happen, but rarely knows who that person is and therefore people like the crew, stage management team, and designers don’t get direct recognition for their work. One of the main answers to the question, “Why do you do this?” is simply, “So others can enjoy it.” How amazing is that? How amazing is the fact that dozens of people work their butts off, and put the knowledge and passion they have, emptying their hearts and souls everyday for the enjoyment of other people! Public speaking is still one of the top fears in the world, and actors do it every night just so people can come out, forget about their worries, and enjoy their work. Theatre is for the people who are watching it, and we put in so much time and effort for strangers. While there are times that actors get paid, and like getting showered in praise, most do it for fun and to make other people happy. We do it for you!
It brings out PASSION - One of my favorite theatre people lately, someone who has really inspired me in this world, is Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not only is Lin a musical writing genius, writing 2 Tony Award winning musicals (one of those being a Hip-Hop musical about Alexander Hamilton, which is such a crazy concept), he is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever seen. Just watch him give an interview about his work, he gets so excited he can barely sit still. It’s even better when you watch him listen to someone else perform his stuff. He is just so happy and passionate about theatre, and Puerto Rico, and his family, and life that it just resonates off of him. Seeing someone passionate about it really re-ignited my flames about theatre. I know I get excited and love a lot of things in life, but if you ever want to watch me get excited and ramble on for hours about something, just ask me about performing, or past shows, or the theatre I want to start. I get jazzed up, my voice gets higher, I’ll even cry about it sometimes. You can see the passion in my eyes and hear it in my voice. I’ve done a lot of things that I love. I’ve done sports, I’ve been a summer camp counselor, I’ve been a summer conference assistant, I’ve been a youth minister, I’ve been a substit…ok, I just liked being a substitute teacher, I don’t know if I “Loved” it. I’ve done just about everything I’ve ever wanted to do, but I have never felt more me, I have never been more in a right place in this world than when I am on a stage, or pushing a house, or telling people to “GO!” I am so blessed that I have a lot of different passions in life, but theatre will always be the top of that list.
Wow, that’s a whole lot of reasons why I do what I do. A lot of it is ramblings, and not a short, concise answer (but really, if you know me, are you surprised?). If you want to know the short answer to the question, “Why do I do what I do?” it can be summed up in one picture.
This girl saw the show, and just wanted to meet the Tinman and me hugging her and talking to her made her day. She may have been 4, but the Tinman made her so happy that she couldn’t stop talking, even though she was usually shy (according to her grandmother). When I saw this picture, I cried, and that moment I decided to go back to school and study theatre. If I ever make it big in this business, it will be this moment, captured by this picture, that will have started it all. I keep it as the background of my phone so when I think “Why do I do this?” I look at it and go, “that’s why!”
So, why do I do what I do?
Simple…it saves lives. It’s saved other’s, and it’s saved mine.
“All the world’s a STAGE…and the stage is my WORLD”