#njrt

It is 1:16 AM on a Friday night and many people my age may be out at a party or fast asleep. But I am curled in bed, heart pounding with excitement, desperately trying to fall asleep in preparation for my two-show day tomorrow. Tomorrow is a day of firsts and lasts. It is the end of one of the most meaningful shows I've ever been in. It is the last time I will get to kiss a boy who I am head-over-heels in love with. It's the last time I will confess my love to him with no fear of repercussions, because it is part of my job. It is moments like these that remind me why theatre is so important. I, as a human being, am a complete and utter disaster. I have no sense of discipline, priorities, or self-worth. But when it comes to theatre it is no longer about me. It is about the cast and the crew and whatever version of myself I am becoming on that stage, and laying in bed knowing that tomorrow I will be able to take hundreds of people with me on a life journey is a high that I will never get tired of. Just thinking that tomorrow I may move people to laughter or tears, that I may touch someone's heart, that I may relate to someone in that audience has me too excited to sleep. Tomorrow will be an incredible day with some of the most incredible people I have the privilege to know, work with, and love. In this moment, I am full of genuine happiness and excitement. In this moment, theatre has made my life beautiful.