When people sit in a theater and watch a show, they usually do it for the entertainment or sometimes just to get away. It’s an escape for a lot of people. It could be a concert, musical, play or even a cabaret show. Regardless of what it is, it adds something that’s maybe missing in a person’s life. So, there is definitely that personal aspect to theatre that a lot of people might forget about. There is always reasoning behind our choices.

The two distinct types of productions that automatically come to mind for me are comedies and dramas, and people usually gravitate towards one or another, or sometimes both. They’re polar opposites, but I love that range between the two and think it’s amazing that theatre produces these two categories and provides that range. You can literally see shows based on what kind of mood you’re in and I think this is another reason people gravitate towards live theatre, similar to films.

Why do people go to the theater? It’s a question to ponder on and there really is no single answer to it in my mind. I think there is something special about going to a theater and seeing a show versus going to see a movie. There is something about having that action right in front of you. After all, there is nothing like live theatre. I imagine it’s probably an escape for some people other than it being a pleasure. I know it is an escape for me and it brings me so much joy, excitement, and contentedness that I’ve kind of become addicted. Not only is it my passion, but it is a huge part of my life. Without it, I would feel as if I lost my imagination.

To me, Shakespeare is a bit of a touchy subject in the theatre industry and that’s for one reason, either you love it or you hate it. It’s the one genre that I believe to be the most challenging in terms of language. When you have challenging language, then understanding the plot and topics discussed becomes a challenge as well. It’s like a chain. If you don’t understand it from the start, it makes things hard later on and people tend to give up on it. Regardless of all of this, I believe Shakespeare is important in the sense that it’s where true theatre started. William Shakespeare is a name everyone knows regardless of if you enjoy his work or not. He is a classic playwright that kind of served as a basis for theatre and helped build it up.

In 2017, I was really struggling to find the right path on a professional level. I had just graduated college with a journalism degree and had stage-managed my last college production. I felt myself coming to the end of a road, and I was right about that. It was the end of my college career and I soon would be dealing with a less strict schedule which meant only one thing: more time on my hands.