"Actors can channel past hurts or joys into the smallest of scenes ..."
The lights are dim. All around you, you can hear people murmuring, but you can't see anyone. Suddenly, all noise stops. You hear a creaking in front of you, and the curtain parts. The lights come up, so bright, you have to fight the urge to squint. You take a deep breath, trying to quell the butterflies in your stomach. Swallowing once, you say the first lines of your school play, falling into your character, becoming someone else for two hours.
The stage is my passion. It is my hobby. It is my life. Theater has surrounded me and helped me discover things about myself that I never knew. Through drama, I have a way to express all the emotions and feelings that I have never let out before. Being in front of an audience is a phenomenal feeling that I can hardly describe. It is nerve-wracking and exciting and terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Without theater, my high school experience would be very boring indeed.
While it has been said many times that everyone needs a creative outlet, I believe this to be tried and true. For some, there is nothing more satisfying than the buzz of a power drill as it tightens a screw into a 2x4, and a set begins to take place. There are many opportunities for young playwrights to have their works performed. Actors can channel past hurts or joys into the smallest of scenes, and have the entire audience at the edge of its seat. The power that theater possesses never ceases to amaze me.
Theater requires large amounts of time and a very dedicated mindset. Hours are spent fine-tuning and rehearsing. Technicians work diligently all through the rehearsal of the play, then work trouble spots and fix last minute problems the week of the performance. It is not uncommon for our cast and crew to be at school until 10:30 p.m. every night the week of a show. While this is exhausting, and many of us would not be able to stay awake were it not for caffeinated beverages, it is worth every moment. The time our drama department spends together during tech week binds us to each other for the rest of the year. These people are not just actors or technicians, they are my friends.
Theater is a pastime people have shared for generations. Hopefully, through support of local theater programs around the area, it is something people will continue to share for many years to come. So picture yourself on that stage, bowing before a standing ovation. Everyone is cheering, clapping, and you cannot stop grinning. The makeup and the costumes will eventually come off, and the lights will be turned off. The crowds will leave, heading for their cars, talking about the show. But you will always carry with you that feeling of stepping out on stage, and transporting yourself and everyone else into a world they never knew existed.