An Open Letter to the Actor Whose Show Was Canceled Due to COVID19
Breann Nicholson
We see you and we understand how heartbroken you are. Whether you were a week out from your show date or you had just attended your first reading, the disappointment can consume you. It is so hard that we, as actors, directors, stage managers and so on, live in a world where our motto is “The Show Must Go On!”, but the world around us is now saying “The Show Must Be Canceled!”. It’s unfair and it’s disappointing. It’s telling you to step off of the stage and to let go of something that you have put your heart, soul, and passion into. You are having to let go of something that you were meant to share with a live audience. The live audience is now non-existent and unavailable. This is forcing you, as an actor, out of your comfort zone under the stage lights, and out into the world without curtains that are able to be closed.
This pandemic was not expected and definitely was not expected to swoop in so dramatically resulting in the closing of theater doors.
No one expected this.
No one expected shows to close in your town.
No one expected shows to close across the country.
No one expected shows to close across the world.
No one expected this.
However, you must remember, as an actor, you have to be prepared for the unexpected and my friend,
The
Show
Must
Go
On!
Now more than ever, we need our community to come together and to be the biggest theatre troupe ever created.
It is time to share with one another.
It is time to open the doors of homes and allow theatre to soak in.
It is time to allow people who have never stepped foot into a theater, take their first steps into the world that you’ve created through your story.
It is time for the theatre doors to open and let the stories spread like wildfire.
It is time to let theatre change the world more than ever before.
Let’s allow our shows to live. Whether we choose to post videos on social media or have Zoom production showcases, we must keep the theatre alive. Now more than ever, the world needs the theatre. They need you to share your stories and allow your shows to impact the hearts of people across the world.
Storytelling was created at the beginning of time and it will be important until the end of time. It creates community and it creates life. Sharing with one another is what we all need in this time of uncertainty. Allow people to take the journey with you. Act your heart out. Your work is powerful.
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone. You’re being pushed off the stage and you must find a new platform so that the stories that need to be shared can be. The world of theatre has a universal aspect that makes an impact on the audience. Allow yourself to be vulnerable to the silent applauses on a live video. Allow yourself to be the light in this dark world. Share and let people be blessed by your work, the work you put your heart into.
You deserve it and so does the world.
Turn your disappointment into an opportunity, an opportunity to share what you’ve put your heart into.