For me, E, the thing with plays (especially if one has worked light/sound bridge or Stage Manager up close & personal with the cast, & certainly as a cast member—though I’ve yet to take on a role) is that each & every night the actors revisit the role in whole, live, peeled open for 3 acts, in the company of an audience. Then wash it all off and go home. It’s kind of impressive.

I’ve seen theatre bring an actor to quaking tears backstage. Seen it melt steely resolve and help keep a judge in touch with his humanities. Seen it soften up a ruffian, and toughen a weakling. Seen it bring an entire cast together in a perfect union of unrepentant backstage euphoria. Seen a kid who was abused real bad, through theatre acting and music…become an exceptional dad to his own. Seen developments over the course of one production, through whacky circumstances laid bare before an audience & cast, rid a young woman of her phobia/anxiety-based drug use.

Overall I see stage actors as boldly in-the-moment. It’s invigorating. Especially if you’re not particularly extroverted. I don’t think they think about it much, the absurdity of it all.

Good theatre is a groovy wormhole to a parallel universe. How’s that sound? Yeah, I’m spiraling ((lol)) it’s been a misspent year.

If I could I’d turn you on to a play, E. Long as it’s not Andrew Lloyd Webber, that ilk, long as it has heart & grit & humor in the writing, then you’re not likely to go wrong with just about anything that’s showing well. Bet there’s a community theatre near you that puts on excellent productions. You’d be surprised.