What Makes it Worth it?

Normally, people in my line of work will tell you how happy they were to make an impact on audience members' lives and how one moment of profound theatre makes all the difference for them. Actually, this is exactly how I feel. I love being able to manipulate human thought and emotion through a design. Everyone involved in the theatre knows that this is the only thing they could see themselves doing, anything else wouldn't even come close. Recently, after having a chat with a young actress about a show she was in that I lit, I couldn't have felt more at home.

So here I am, it's the middle of finals prep week (the week I spend doing all my projects and things that are due the following week) and rather than working on the research paper or drafting assignment, I'm in the theatre. Every year the theatre department has a few rounds of 10 minute scenes for the directing class, this counts as those students' final grades in the class- a performance in which they cast, analyze, and finally present, free of charge, at the end of the semester. Tech lasts two days and the performances last three days. THEN, also at the end of every semester, the Musical Theatre performance labs have a showcase in which the class divides up into several solo and ensemble numbers that they polish and perfect throughout the semester, they are presented usually a day or two after the directing projects have completed. For all of these performances and end of the year showcases, they need a few bodies to help run the lights and sound-and since I have been helping out with both of these performances since my freshman year, it's only natural I continue. This semester was a much smoother performance because I had two lovely technicians who are very passionate about the theatre, much like myself, help me run the shows this year. I stick to the light board, and the other two would either be running sound or helping with a myriad of other things backstage. Then, something else happened.

A supporter of the children's miracle network and musical theatre department student here at TCU asked if I would be able to help run lights for the showcase she was planning as well. At this point I was skeptical about being able to help with all these shows and be able to get my own finals work done too, but honestly, if it isn't stressful, it's not theatre- so why not? I would be running lights opposite of yet another brilliant technician and sound designer here within TCU and my two technicians operating followspots. Fast Forward->> we got through the dress rehearsal and performance with very little struggle and the benefit raised over a thousand dollars to help the kids involved. It's great to say I was apart of something like that--but what made it even better was what happened later that week.

A few days after the performance I went over to study with a few friends, one of which was involved in the benefit concert. We were talking about critical reasoning, theatre history, and some sort of science class when the subject of the concert came up. Constructively critical as we may have been regarding our comments and praises about the performance, the young lady who was involved in the show told me something I will never forget: "You know, that was the first time I had ever sang in a spotlight. It was really great." The genuine gratitude that was delivered with that statement made me absolutely ooze with warm gushy happiness. Call me cheesy, but any award or compliment I ever get on any design after that will probably never amount to the sheer excitement I felt after hearing her say that. I sometimes forget the magnitude of my art- the power a single light can have on a human soul can be a wonderful thing, and I must never forget that.

For those of you interested in seeing the performance, you may follow the link below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_QqIRwB54