keep me where the light is

The performers felt the energy blossom within their souls like the flowers of early spring as they waited for the curtain to open. The young buds in bloom were anticipating the sunlight’s radiance, which would nourish their dreams and allow them to thrive in the only environment conducive to their existence. In the darkness backstage, the actors were exposed to their own thoughts, their own despair, their own sorrow. And because the young actors yearned for warmth, for belonging, for sanctuary, they sought to absorb the sunlight of for their souls- the spotlight. And since they struggled separately offstage, they sought the comfort of struggling as one, together, in the act known as theatre. Thus the small parts and the leading roles and the crew members became whole, under the brilliance of the lights.
When the curtain opened the most wondrous of all magical experiences took place: the actors worked in unison to tell a story to the audience. Stories were woven from individual people; people who, for the duration of the show, forgot about all previous misfortunes. The burdens of homework, college applications, the looming future, the daily family argument; they all vanished as the curtain opened. The warmth of the spotlight washed away every sliver of disappointment. The actors became the characters and parts of a new world only they could live in. A grand transformation had occurred, right in front of the audience.
The individuals that once were Leading Male and Sound Engineer and Prop Manager and Dancer had all become Performers, working towards the same goal: expressing an idea to viewers. Try to leave an impact on just one person; fuel someone to feel emotions, someone who had forgotten that happy tears exist; touch one person’s life. There. A single tear trickles down someone’s face and the Performers have accomplished a world of good. Each allows the spotlight to fill their souls, and in return the performance heals the souls of onlookers. Thus a cycle of pure fulfillment develops.
Each night the show’s power cured broken individuals; the Performers savored every trace of the bonds formed among those who put on a show, they basked in the comfort of the spotlights, they experienced the high produced by the sheer energy from standing on stage, they discovered how to channel their talents into a kind of entertainment so exhilarating and precious that everyone in the room could sense the love that was put into each line of each scene. Live theatre is a spiritual process.
Each night the show offered an escape to the audience, who had not the slightest hint of how the production was created. The illusion produced requires perfection, creativity, and insanity. The pre-show rituals are endless and distinguished among each Performer.
Want to sing a prayer before we go on?
Sure, let’s harmonize to the one we always sing. It’s so soothing.
I know. Let’s go in the corner. And we have to whisper.
True. Don’t want anyone’s body mic to pick up the sound.
And each night, catastrophes were avoided. The shows ran smoothly despite the one leotard that somehow walked out of the dressing room, the cues that were called a millisecond too early, the props that were set on the wrong side of the stage, and the inevitable costume changes that had to be executed in under a minute. Every second is valuable.
Hey, can you unzip this? It’s a fast change.
Of course. Remember to unclip your mic before you switch shirts.
Got it. Thanks.
Conversations are hushed and brilliant solutions must be reached seconds after an obstacle arises because the show continues no matter what. The spotlights will proceed to glimmer down on the stage and those who grace it. The story must be told regardless of the mic that stopped working in the second scene or the embarrassing wardrobe malfunction caused by the pants zipper that broke during a lightning fast costume change. It’s a wonder individuals are willing to subject themselves to such uncertainties, potential humiliation, and stress.
But in some, the energy will always continue to blossom within their souls like the flowers of early spring.