What Theatre Means to Me

“Maria!”

I call the name as I see the haloed face floating above my head. Cold fingers run up and down my spine as I quietly cross the stage. The illusion is imperfect; I can see the light fixtures and the back of the apartment facade, but in this moment, like my audience, I have suspended disbelief. I am a tall, handsome Pole, Tony, striding across the dirty New York Streets to meet my new love. A soft undercurrent of music pushes me forward, willing me to call her name again, but I stop and look up as she whispers,

“Shhhhh!”

Her hair, illuminated and shining in the bright, hot lights, ignites me every time I set my foot onto a stage. I feel the familiar tingle of nerves and the rush of adrenaline coursing through my system. Each time I step out from the wings, I experience that moment again, the perfect, imperfect illusion of being another person. At once I can be myself and another; I can say things I would never say and feel emotions so strong that no one person could hold them alone.

The stage is a second home for me; the people on and around it, actors-characters and crew members alike, a second family. I have had some of my greatest moments there, the thunderous applause following a heart-breaking monologue, and some of my worst, the crushing pain of finding out that I didn’t make the cut and having to smile at the person who did.

I have learned many things from the world of the theater, which have helped me to become the person I am today.  I have learned to balance my school and extracurricular workload with learning lines, blocking, and music.  I have learned to cleanse my mind so I can become a character from any point on the spectrum as well as any other. I have learned to foster others’ development through working with younger, less experienced actors, and most importantly, I have learned that progress comes when, instead of immediately correcting mistakes, I teach through constructive criticism and collaboration.

Theatre has kindled my mind, illuminating the possibilities that lie all around me: family, passion, a desire to teach, and an immortal longing to learn.