Student Blog: My Favorite Theatre Memories

When I enrolled in my first Theater class in the sixth grade, I had no idea the impact that semester would have on the rest of my life. Now, after almost nine years, I have made lifelong friends, hilarious (occasionally embarrassing) memories, and countless discoveries about myself through theatre, both as a performer and as an audience member. Over the years, there have been a few specific moments that were particularly significant in shaping me into the musical theatre nerd that I am today.

When I think back about my theatre experiences from high school, one memory that sticks out among the rest was attending my state’s high school theatre conference my freshman year. One of my best friends and I competed in the Dramatic Duet Acting category, and we made the journey out of town on the bus with the rest of our classmates. It was my first time in an audition-type setting outside of my own school, and I was a nervous wreck. We arrived at the campus with the rest of our group early that morning and stayed until the sun went down. Our category met right before lunch, so my friend and I had the majority of the day to ourselves, hanging out in the gymnasium that served as a waiting area. That might not sound exciting, but it ended up being one of the most entertaining days of my high school career. We spent the day talking with students from other schools, reviewing our scene, and cheering on the other groups as they rehearsed. We met a lot of amazing people from other schools in the state, and I remember practically crying with laughter for most of the day. My friend and I didn’t end up placing in our category, but we had a chance to talk with our judges during a break. They were incredibly encouraging to both of us; they gave us feedback on our performance and asked about our goals for the future. We both walked away from the conversation feeling encouraged and proud of ourselves. I definitely think that day influenced my decision to continue pursuing theatre in college.

I can’t possibly write about my favorite memories without mentioning my first time seeing a Broadway show. The summer after my freshman year of high school, I travelled with my family to New York City for the first time. As cliché as it sounds, I remember feeling like I was in a dream; it was surreal to be right in the middle of a place I had only seen in movies or pictures all my life. The warmth of summertime made everything shimmer, and I don’t know how I had any storage left on my phone with the amount of photos I took. I remember walking through the theatre district and pointing out all of my favorite shows to my family. Our second night in the city, we had tickets to see Anastasia, which is still one of my favorite musicals of all time. It was a packed house, and the energy in the theatre was palpable. When the orchestra rang out the first few notes and the curtain rose, I remember tears streaming down my face almost instantaneously. I had expected the night to be emotional, but I was still taken aback by just how deeply seeing the show affected me. I was in complete awe of the actors, the dancing, the orchestra, the costumes, absolutely everything. When the show was over, I was lucky enough to get a spot at the stage door to say hello to the actors and even get a few autographs. My family and I went out for dessert after the show, and I was on cloud nine. I kept replaying the whole evening in my head over and over; it was the closest thing to magic I had ever experienced. 

Performing in my first college show was another memory I will never forget. Spring of my sophomore year of college, our Musical Theatre program performed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Between the pandemic and my decision to transfer schools after my freshman year, I hadn’t gotten to perform in an actual production since the plays I had done in high school. I had a blast getting to play Logainne, and it was beyond amazing to finally be a part of a cast again. We made so many memories that semester from music rehearsals, learning choreography, putting together our costumes, and performing the show. We were all so proud of the end result, which made the whole experience even more rewarding. Looking back on it now, I see how being a part of Spelling Bee taught me how to trust my instincts and stop putting limits on myself or my abilities. I grew exponentially as a performer and as a person throughout the process, and I discovered new dreams for my future. I feel so lucky to have such incredible memories to look back on from that semester.

When I think back on all of these memories over the years, my heart swells with joy and gratitude. Theatre has brought me my closest friendships, funniest inside jokes, and deepest realizations about myself and who I want to become. The theatre community as a whole means so much to me, and I am beyond grateful for the way in which it’s changed my life. I can’t wait to see where this passion leads me in the months and years to come.