How Being a Theatre Kid Changed My Life
Good evening Steemit,
Recently I have been traveling a lot, making my way up to my university to start the new year. As I sit through the long 12 hour car rides, I have a lot of time to think about my childhood and what really shaped me to be the person I am today.
When I got to my university, I met someone who became one of my best friends. Samm, who's work I have posted many times to this blog before, and I bonded over many things, one of them being Theater. She and I realized that we had both gone through theater during our middle school and high school careers, and it was one of the most influential activities we had been involved with.
I was lucky enough to participate as some of the lead roles in performances of Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, and Into the Woods, to name a few. Normally I had been given non-singing roles where I just read my lines and that was that. However, when I received the script for Guys and Dolls, I realized that as the protagonists father, 'Uncle Arvide', I had a solo. Not only would I have to solo, something I had not done before, but I would have to also play the music on a piano.
I'm glad I was made to leave my comfort zone, though; I later was able to get jobs and positions performing piano in front of thousands of people, and I was never really nervous. Even when I messed up, which everyone messes up at some point, I just got back on track and improvised my way out of it. Having the mindset to be able to get in front of thousands of people and not even break a sweat has served me extremely well in the past few years. I went from being perpetually anxiety-ridden to having the ability to manage my stage-fright.
To speak more on this topic, I have been granted permission by Samm to post her article, taken from The Odyssey, which tells her story of the theater life.
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Theatre shaped who I am today
By Samm S.
No matter where you went to high school, your school probably had a theatre department. Maybe it wasn’t your thing, or maybe the theatre wing was just a little too loud (come on, we’re projecting!) Regardless of what you may have viewed the theatre kids as, participating in the theatre program truly changed my life for the better.
When I entered high school, I was insecure and timid, and I had difficulty making friends in the beginning. I was accidentally placed in theatre, and I was absolutely terrified of performing in front of upperclassmen that I didn’t know. But the class welcomed me with open arms, and it made me feel much more comfortable, knowing that I had people on my side.
I continued with theatre all throughout my high school career, doing all sorts of different things for the program. I performed in the senior directed one acts, helped behind the stage, joined the improv team, performed in the musical, and in my last two years directed two shows, one of which would win an award.
My four years in the theatre program certainly had it’s ups and downs. Despite this, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Theatre has taught me how to love and accept all different kinds of people, regardless of their past, and it has taught me that even the quiet kids can have a voice too. Theatre has shown me how to take charge and be a good leader; it has shown me how to make a difference in whatever I choose to do.
Theatre may not be for everyone, but the four years I spent in the program have truly shaped my life. I would not be where I am right now without theatre.
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Link to original article: How Being a Theater Kid Changed my Life