It was difficult for me to find a cultural artifact, so I chose to talk about something meaningful to me, my family and is part of our dynamic. I chose a picture from when we went to see the revival of Into the Woods in 2022. Theatre and performance has always been meaningful to me and it’s from how I grew up. This show has special meaning as well, but more so it is what it represents. It represents the environment where I feel the most comfortable. My sister and I were always singing together and were always putting on performances. We had large imaginations and lots of feelings so performance and theatre was a productive outlet Even more so, my parents were always encouraging us to go out for auditions and practice. They had respect for the performing arts that stemmed from their experiences as adolescent performers (it’s actually how they met!)
Theatre has been engrained in my life because of the reasons above, but also because it was the first space where I felt I could be completely myself. I have a loud, unapologetic communication style, which is an acquired taste for some. I always have no shame being ‘weird’ in public if it means I’m having fun. When I did my first show, I realized that I wasn’t the only one. In my opinion, a theatre community is one of the most welcoming and accepting communities you can be a part of. I am able to work intimately with individuals I would not typically interact with outside the space.
Furthermore, theatre has traditionally become a space for members of the queer community. Not only is it accepting but because it allows for creative expression differing from other forms of art. I am not queer, but I can imagine the relief of being in a space that is meant to uplift and foster connection. Even though there are a multitude of other spaces that can offer this, I know theatre is meaningful to the queer community through experiences that I cannot relate to. The amazing thing about art is how it can offer every person what they want from it. That can form communities through the similarities, but also leaves space for individual wants and needs to be heard. While we should always strive for community, a welcoming space should be able to offer benefits on an individual level as well.
I really loved that you said, theater “was the first space where I felt I could be completely myself.” Finding community in theater is something I relate to personally, and I think it is so amazing that communities can be created because people share a common interest. Finding home in a certain space can also be connected to many of the works we have read this semester. For example, Saeed Jones. He found home in, and could truly express himself through, his character Boy.
This is such a warm and thoughtful reflection, and I love how clearly your love for theatre comes through. The way you describe your family singing together, performing, being encouraged to express yourselves, etc., feels like its own beautiful origin story. Your point about theatre as a space where “weird” isn’t just accepted but celebrated is so true! It’s one of the few environments where big feelings and loud personalities aren’t too much but they’re fuel 🙂