Lately I have been involved Stage Managing a show at my University’s Theatre Department. It is a labor of love. All the positions at our school (acting, tech, backstage) is entirely volunteer. You can get class credit, but the amount of hours you put into it makes just taking a class more “worth it”. I have gotten a lot of flack for agreeing to volunteer for a show, which will inevitably take away all my free nights, weekends, and sanity for the next month or so, especially since I have been struggling to find job. Why would I keep doing this to myself? Ah…she’s a masochist, that explains it! You think. But indeed I may be to a point, but the real reason I continue to do Theatre is because I love it. I know I won’t get a paycheck, or stability, or a guaranteed retirement plan. What do I get? I gain a sense of responsibility, and I grow with each production I’m involved in. My confidence is ever building. I meet the most passionate and creative people and form bonds with them that long outlasts the run of the show. I learn how to solve problems, how to delegate, when to take criticism and when to stand up for myself. I learn patience (the virtue I am least fond of) and how to take a breath and be in to moment. I learn how to multitask and how to be present and focused. I think that while I may not be paid for what I do now, there is not waste in doing what I love. I am learning so much more than any 9-5er could teach me. The work I am putting in now is being invested in the future, and what better investment could I have made? Ah yes, working hard has its advantages, you really do reap what you sow. I will never regret working hard to get what I have now.
