My career treading the boards.

Last year I started participating in two local amateur theatre clubs, and now I'm totally hooked. Two friends of mine, long-time members of both groups, had been egging me on for years to try it out, but I always thought I'd get severe stagefright and yet, it's helped me grow more confident and outgoing, I believe, and I've made even more friends from it. Now, what happens backstage stays there, and I have yet to acquire any experience in large-scale, touring productions, but it's also shown me the truth in what's been often said: quality on stage or screen usually comes from harmony backstage or on set.

I'm currently starring in two productions, and I'm finding each just as enjoyable and education as the last, if not more so. It can definitely be challenging, but if you encounter challenge in a field or commitment you're naturally drawn to and you believe in, it's a terrific motivator. Sticking with something that ticks neither of those boxes, unless it's a job and you need the cash, is pointless anyway.

Theatre is, overall, just a social hobby of mine, and I'm again still learning, but art is my opiate. My theatrical work has never been about me anyway, at least not primarily. It's about the stories, the inspiration, the themes, the collaborative and creative process. And, of course, the audience. The people who give some of their own money and time to support art (and artists) themselves, in the hopes of having an entertaining and/or educational night out, or just to escape the daily grind temporarily. Anybody who's never even been on-stage, much less backstage, can surely value and identify with that. And we all need it. That's the main reason why all artforms have endured for centuries, and will do so for many more. And I'm committed and deeply proud to practice its magic.