Thank You, Theatre

I found my voice in freshman year,

Standing there on that wooden stage, the single spotlight as blinding as the sun itself.

Never was I one to ‘stand out’, to desire to be different, to stand up when everyone sat down,

Yet there I was, standing on that little taped ‘X’, the center of attention for the first time in my life.

The assignment was simple, to state my name and grade, the words tumbling from my lips in a shaky and anxious soup.

And yet, in those few minutes I stood, twenty-four pairs of eyes watching (a large number to such a small girl), I felt braver than I ever had before.

Theatre is not the same as simply giving a presentation, theatre is not just ‘speaking’.

A character does not become real through lines alone.

In that class I became a witch, a small child, a prince, a sorority girl who cared for her Prius more than people care for their dogs, a man waiting for Godot.

Though they were all different, and had they been real would’ve never met in the same lifetime, with each character I became and each time that spotlight flickered on I felt my confidence grow.

Some see theatre as a mask, hiding who you are behind the lines of another life, but I disagree; each of those characters are in themselves you, each one you play offers you a bit of their confidence, their humor, their wit.

Before freshman year, had you told me to speak in front of more than ten people (let alone twenty or more, and let alone act), I would have become a shaky mess before I even walked in the door.

As a senior now, about to venture into the unknown, I don’t fear public speaking.

I could stand in front of any crowd any day, talk to anyone, stand proud and confident under that bright light as I look into the eyes of each and every pair of eyes watching and greet them with a smile that says “I can do this”.

All the world’s my stage.