BWW Blog: Thankful for the Theatre

Once in a while, I'm reminded that there is no greater group of people than theatre folks. During a particularly long hold during a late night zoom tech rehearsal, my cast and I (with permission from the stage management crew of course) started to chat. We weren't chatting about anything in particular, just trying to kill time during tech. We covered everything from embarrassing theatrical celebrity encounters, to how we started doing theatre, to who would be on our own personalized Mount Rushmores. After about 30 minutes of this we resumed our run.

This episode reminded me of just how wonderful the theatrical community is. Theatre can act as a second language for so many people. No matter where I am, if I find theatre people, I'm shown grace, compassion, and support from all those around me. Whenever I find a company of theatre artists, it can't help but feel like I've found a new family. There's a certain ease and calm I feel with theatre people that I don't feel with many other groups. We all have commonality, a similar frame of reference through which we see the world. If I'm ever at a loss for words, I'm able to borrow quotes from great lyricists and playwrights, and the people I'm with understand me perfectly.

Not to wax philosophical, but I truly think that art makes us better people. The act of creation and consumption breeds compassion and understanding. It gives us a window into other people's stories, and lets us see the strands that connect us as human beings. No matter who you are, it's almost impossible not to glean a bit of hope from Hadestown. No matter who you are, it's almost impossible not to laugh at Something Rotten. It's impossible not to appreciate the technical marvel that is the music of Stephen Sondheim, and it's impossible not to tap your feet when you hear a Cole Porter tune. Theatre, and art as a whole, is so important to the human race. In a pandemic, artists are the ones who kept us smiling. We binge watched TV shows, read books, and kept up our Animal Crossing islands. To paraphrase Dead Poets Society, art is one of the things worth fighting for.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday I do much to celebrate. Usually, it's just an excuse to eat a ton of food and top it off with a slice of pie. However, this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for theatre. I'm thankful for the form, I'm thankful for the artists, and I'm thankful for the community that surrounds it all. And above all, I'm thankful that, at least for a day, Broadway will be back. I've been an avid viewer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade my whole life, mainly to see the Boadway performances. And I'm so beyond grateful to have something to continue that this year, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Stay safe, wear a mask, and take care of eachother

Sincerely,

Me