Guest Post: What Rehearsals Have Meant to Me.
As we get ready to perform our summer concert, "Don't Stop Believin: The Ultimate '80s Tribute Concert", one of our performers wrote a beautiful journal entry about what rehearsals have meant to her. Sanae Triest is one of the performers in our concert. She has been on Legacy’s stage in the past, but you may also know her as one of our Front of House Volunteers. Sanae has met many of you and has ushered you to a seat, answered a question, and has worked to make your time at Legacy comfortable and welcoming. These are her words . . .
"My current favorite take-away from our nights rehearsing "Don't Stop Believin'" is not how great the songs are and how the lyrics are just right for right now. It is not how fun and fabulous and challenging it is learning the big group numbers has been. Not even the special time spent with some of my favorite humans.
It's the unity.
Unity.
We live in a complexly yet fabulously simple time of division. Everywhere you look. Someone's fighting someone else, fighting the system, or fighting the man: chaos, confusion, and endless noise.
At rehearsal a few nights ago, one of my co-performers, Cameron, hit that note. You know the one. The note that shatters glass and gets you all warm and fuzzy inside. And 100% of the cast lost it. We applauded and cheered for him in complete support and solidarity.
At tonight's rehearsal, someone got the lyrics AND the staging.
We went wild.
Tonight someone came out of a shell, and someone else found their sparkle.
And we all thought it was just the best thing that ever happened.
Collectively.
It was the kind of support you wish you had when you were knees deep in diapers, laundry, and bottles, and no one was there to say, "Hey. You're doing so well! I am so proud of you. I'm bringing dinner."
The kind of support you wish you had when you came close to that mean bully in middle school.
The kind of encouragement you wish you had during that divorce, miscarriage, death, or illness.
Just someone saying, "Hey. I see you. And you are doing brilliantly. And when you're struggling? I've got you. We've got you."
A few images from our “Don’t Stop Believin’” rehearsals.
Legacy is Community.
Community is about your neighbors and friends.
About strangers who become friends.
About having someone else's back.
About cheering for someone else over yourself.
This is what I find when I step into rehearsals.
If you are lacking COMMUNITY? I strongly encourage community theater—especially Legacy.
Here, you drop your day off at the door, and twenty people say, "Hey! Great note! You are stunning!"
And sometimes? When you can't just drop it all at the door, a simple "Hey, Friend - what's going on - I see you're having a day - coffee?" will go a long, long way to being able to share a burden and a weight and get back in there.
That's community.
That kind of COMMUNITY LIVING is desperately, sorely, intensely wanting in many lives - ESPECIALLY after these past few years.
Find. Your. Community. Yes. You actually have to go out there and find. It's not coming to you. You take that first step.
Scary, right?
Worth it?
Beyond a shadow of a doubt. 💜
