The Hiding Place

This is the story of my very first experience with watching theatre:

I was about five years old when my mother took me to a heritage village and museum for a day trip. One of the attractions at said museum, was a show about a small town during the gold rush. I was engaged throughout the whole performance which is uncharacteristic of a five year old. There was something about the coming together of actors on a stage that grabbed my full attention. The fact that artists can come together and communally create a magic onstage was breathtaking for me. The show stole my heart and it has never given my love back.

One of the coolest things that I found about that show, was how the actors would leave the stage via the wings and later return to the stage from a different part of the wings and sometimes even in a different costume. This was the most exciting thing that I had ever seen. Being the feeble-minded child that I was, I believed that this occurrence was pure magic! Out of my excitement, I named the backstage area the "Hiding Place". After all, this was where the actors hid from the audience. This term stuck with me for many years and that is what was known to me.

After that first show, I was hooked. Theatre has since been a grand and special experience for me. The days leading up to see a new show are always exciting. Seeing shows are my favourite thing to do. Shows bring me to a new world of adventure where my current problems and worries can leave me. I get to sit back in my chair and enjoy the talents of others who entertain me. I hope there are others in the world who share this love of mine. Theatre is a gift that not everyone has the luxury of receiving. Some people don't appreciate theatre as it should be appreciated. Theatre is not to be taken for granted, but it is definitely something that will change a person's life.