Entry #8 - How Musical Theater Changed My Life

 

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I take a deep breath as I step out onto the dark stage. The air around me buzzes with excitement, and the audience is completely silent in anticipation. I fidget with my checkered dress as I think about my character; her likes, her dislikes, her fears, and her dreams. The music begins and a bright smile spreads across my face as I feel a newfound confidence surge throughout my body. As I open my mouth to sing my first note, I know that I am where I belong. I am home. 

Musical theater is more than just a form of entertainment. Musical theater is a beautiful form of art and expression that can fill the lives of an audience with joy. However, in this blog post I will not be discussing how musical theater affects an audience, I will be discussing how musical theater affects its actors. I am the perfect example of this transformation. When I was little, I was a quiet and shy young girl who had very little confidence in herself. I was scared of doing pretty much anything on my own, and I would freak out whenever my mom dropped me off at my grandma's and tried to go somewhere without me. I enjoyed talking to people, but it made me nervous. Then, everything changed. 

About 9 years ago, when I was 11 years old, I met a beautiful family who had two daughters my age. The family told my mom about an annual musical theater summer camp called Camp Imagination that took place in Wickenburg at the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts. My parents decided to sign me and my younger sisters up for the camp. The show that we would be putting on at the end of the camp was Disney's Aladdin, and I was a member of the ensemble. I was a little nervous about being on a stage in front of hundreds of people, but I decided to give it a try. On the third day at camp, it was announced that auditions would be held for a couple of small singing parts. In a completely random and unexpected decision, I chose to audition, and I sang the part with all of my little heart. I didn't expect anything to come from it, but within a few hours I learned that I had received the part! I was incredibly excited. . . and scared. My parents were shocked that I had even auditioned to begin with. As the show approached, I really started to panic. What if I tripped and fell on my face? What if I forgot the words? What if my voice broke? Finally, it was the night of the show. The curtains rose, and within minutes, it was time for my solo. I ran to the front and center, sang my line, and ran back, a massive smile on my face. My solo was only six words long, but I had loved every second of it. While singing those six words, I felt happier than I had ever felt before. It was then that I knew. . . I had found my new home. 

I returned to the summer camp over and over again, and over the years I was blessed to receive many different roles. I was Mrs. Squires in The Music Man, Menkin in Happily Ever After: A Cinderella Story, Neleus/Mrs. Corry/Bank Chairman in Mary Poppins, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and Maria in The Sound of Music. I got involved in a small theater called Stage Left Productions as well, and there I landed the roles of Charlotte in Charlotte's Web and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. My most recent musical theater role was Dorothy Gale in the infamous Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed playing every single one of these roles, and each one helped me to grow and develop not only as an actress but as a human being. 

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When I first got involved in musical theater, I was shy, quiet, and a little bit bashful. While acting, lessons of clear pronunciation, diction, and speaking up were constantly fed to me. I learned just how important it is to speak in a way that others, no matter their hearing abilities or location, can understand. As I grew older, I began using that knowledge throughout my personal life. My grandparents are hard of hearing, but I have noticed that when I use clear diction and a strong, steady voice it is a lot easier to communicate with them. I have used this skill in many aspects of my life, but it is not the only skill that acting taught me. When acting on a stage, it is also very important to make eye contact with fellow actors. By keeping eye contact with each other, we better understand when another actor has forgotten a line and it helps the scene feel more realistic. During my first year of college, I quickly learned that delivering speeches in front of a class is expected in many classroom settings. I had to give two different speeches in my classes last semester, and I found myself feeling very grateful for my acting experience.  We all know that it can be very boring to sit for long amounts of time listening to someone give a speech or lecture, and many of us know that it can be very hard to attain and keep hold of an audience's attention when speaking. I have learned that eye contact is crucial to pulling off a successful presentation. By making eye contact with the audience, we are showing the audience that we can relate to them; we are showing the audience that we want to make a connection with them. In doing so, we draw them into the presentation and engage their interest. 

I have also learned a lot about the world that I live in through theater. Just like books, theater productions take their audience to new places, introduce their audience to new people, and enforce important moral lessons within the hearts of their audience. As an actress, I have played many different types of people, and by doing so I have learned just how important it is to think about where other people may be coming from. Before putting on a production, I always try to think very critically about my character and their background. I scan over the script for any hints as to my character's past experiences, and if there are no such hints I make up a story. This allows me to portray my character with the realistic depth that all people in real life have. For example, I played the Queen of Hearts in a version of Alice in Wonderland. At the end of the play, Alice gives the Queen of Hearts a present in an attempt to make peace. My character, the queen, is filled with shock and wonder that someone actually cared enough about her to give her such a gift. I decided that the queen had a hard childhood: perhaps she was ignored by her parents. Thus, when given a gift, she was overcome with joy and tears of happiness. Alice did not expect such a reaction, but that reaction came nevertheless. In real life, we come into situations and conflicts with other people on a regular basis. Just like I do when acting, we need to stop for a moment and think about where the other person is coming from before making remarks or taking part in harmful actions. We never know what another person's day has been like. We never know what people they are surrounded by or what their home life is like. By pausing to consider why another person acts the way that they do, we can develop empathy for others. Sheldon Reid says:

Empathy is the ability to see things from another's perspective and feel their emotions. Putting yourself in another person's shoes might lead you to act with compassion and do what you can to improve their situation. In doing so, you can reduce the other person's distress as well as your own.

When we take a moment to empathize with another person, we give ourselves the opportunity to help someone else and perhaps to even develop a new relationship with them. We never know when we will stumble across a new friend. After the incident with the gift, Alice and the queen became friends. . . who would have thought? Maybe we can have a similar experience. 

Another lesson that my experience with musical theater has taught me was the lesson of self-confidence. When I was eleven, I wasn't very confident in myself. I had never been overly involved in sports, choirs, or band like a lot of my friends, and I didn't really know what my talents were, or if I had one at all. When I became involved in musical theater, not only did I find something that I am good at but I also found confidence in myself. I learned about who I am, and who I want to be. Oftentimes, it is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "Why can't I be talented like them?" I often fell into that exact trap when I was little. Guess what? That question is completely, incredibly, and undeniably irrelevant. Why? Because every single one of us, no matter where we come from, has some type of talent to share with the world. Sometimes those talents are obvious, such as excellence in school, athleticism, artistic talent, or musical inclination. Sometimes, talents may be more discreet, such as the ability to listen to others and be there for them in a time of need. Either way, we can make a massive difference in this world; all it takes is something or someone to show us what our talents are. 

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When I was eleven years old, I never would have dreamed that a simple summer camp could change my life the way that it did. That summer camp introduced me to the incredible world of musical theater; a world that then went on to change me for the better. Thanks to my acting experience, I have gained knowledge about how to speak clearly, how to connect with others, how to have empathy for those around me, and how to have confidence in myself. However, there is one more lesson that my first year at Camp Imagination taught me. When I stepped out onto the stage and sang my very first solo in front of people, I learned that we never know when a life changing event could happen. Now, the stage has become my second home; now, when I am on the stage I am far more at peace than when I am anywhere else.  So what I want you to take away is this: we must keep our eyes open, because a new experience, a new passion, a new dream could be waiting just around the corner. . . we just have to enter through the door and take a look at what's inside. 

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