Best Thing About Performing/Best Thing About Being an Audience Member

[Cruel_Sandwich]

What are your guys' picks?

PERFORMING: The moment when you finally step out onstage and all of your nervousness dissappears because the moment of reckoning is finally here. The moment that you literally become that character and all thoughts of everything else is shut out.

AUDIENCE: When the energy of the show feeds off onto you and you leave the theater buzzed like a 12 year old on a sugar high. Nothing beats that.

[VonTussleGirl]

Performing: The high you get five minutes before curtain, that familiar hybrid of "I can't wait to be onstage again" and "OHMYGODEVERYTHING'SGONNAGOWRONG"... and then standing onstage at curtain call, realizing the performance passed way too quickly.

Or just curtain call. That's my favorite part of performing, anway...

[CatieElphie1]

Performing: the smell of the theatre and the feel of the costumes knowing that you did well and knowing you've inspired 200 people with your work

Watching: listening to the orcheastra warming up. Is there ANYTHINHG better?

[LoudIrishGirl]

Performing: Hearing the audience laugh or clap and realizing somewhere in the back of your head that YOU did that. That YOU entertained them well enough that they could let go of reality and believe (if only partially) in the illusion you are helping create onstage. Knowing that you inspired people, whether it was to laugh or clap or if it was to inspire that one kid in the back row to do theatre/dance/singing/anything creative.

Watching: Seeing somebody hit that perfect note. Nail a scene or song. Watching a truly talented person strut their stuff and glow and grow in the warmth of the lights. Feeling the rush of adrenaline as you (well, as I) imagine yourself (myself) onstage doing that same thing one day in the future.

* also everything everybody else mentioned *

[wickedrentq]

Performing(in pit): The moment when the lights go down and you put your little stand lights on(referring to High School) and you know you're just about to start the overture, and then you start, and you're just in a completely different world, where all you think and feel is the music.

Audience: Probably very similar for me. When they make the announcement and the lights go down and I know the orchestra is about to start, it's such a hyped moment for me.

[WonderBoy]

Performing: Getting paid for doing what I love.

Watching: Hoping that I didn't pay to much money for something rather mediocre.