I have been in theatre since the 5th grade. I got into theatre on accident actually, I auditioned to be in an advanced choir. As advance as choir can be for a public school elementary class. I just really liked to sing and wanted to sing more. Well the choir partnered up with the after school program that was putting on a production of Disney's Aristocats Jr. I played Crazy cat and I had one line. But it was enough to make me want to continue. So I made sure I went to schools that did theatre. And it wasn't until my Junior year of high school that I learned what a stage manager even was. I remember the girl that stage managed the show was doing a great job. She was getting a lot of praise for her work, so I got curious and asked to see her binder. I looked through her binder and thought "I could do this, I want to do this". The following semester I stage managed for a show about Edgar Allen Poes poems. This show was also my first time going to the competition that are held for high school theatres in New Mexico (I am now working with that award show, it is crazy how things turn out). Anyways, I have never worked so hard on anything before. Nothing had stressed me out and made me want to do my absolute best. Stage managing is just different then acting, you have so much more work and you are responsible for everyone and the production as a whole. I learned to appreciate theatre so much more after stage managing. watching shows after I started stage managing is just such a different experience. I have been stage managing ever since this first show. And I cant see my life with out stage managing now, I also haven't acted since then either. It is just crazy to think that acting is the journey I had to take to start stage managing. And now whenever a actor cant come to rehearsal and I have to say their lines or do their blocking I always feel so awkward. How dare this actor miss rehearsal you know what I had to do! I had To Act! And it always feels so crazy to realize that I used to be an actor, because I have no interest in acting anymore. I had to record an introduction video of myself, and I felt so awkward and uncomfortable. I hated being in front of the camera, but I have to laugh at how ridiculous I was acting. Because I once enjoyed it, I once was an actor.
Comments