The space after a show

After the curtain falls, the last clap dissipates into the auditorium and the lights fade to black, there is a space for audience members. The space between the world you lived with the actors on the stage and the reality of your life. This space is often hurried through while bags are gathered, programs are thrown away and bathrooms are sought out. But this is a hallowed space. A place of vulnerability and raw emotion. If you, the audience have bought into the illusion of the stage and have indulged in the lives of the actors, then the moments after the illusion ends should not be hurried through, because they holds secrets.  

Secrets about your own heart. 

Your own thoughts. 

Your own reality.  

There is a mystic reality to this space that one has trouble describing unless you have found yourself there and allowed the solicitude and vulnerability of that moment to shape you into something more.

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This weekend I had the chance to find myself as I went to see two different shows. 

The first chance to experience this was after seeing the final dress rehearsal of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" at Lakeland Community Theatre.  There is one more weekend of this wonderful classic comedy, and you shouldn't miss it. Tickets are only $20, which is a steal to see quality theatre. Purchase tickets here. My good friend, Nathan Pearce played Felix Unger and it was a treat to see him perform again in this wonderfully comedic piece. The characters, humor and physical comedy were all present as they performed for their first audience. My friend, Shelly Fountain was also in the show as one of the Pigeon sisters and the cute British accent and neon jump suit left me all smiles. If you enjoyed the movie by the same name starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau from 1968, you won't want to miss the chance to see the original script the movie was based on next weekend right here in Lakeland.

After I hooted and hollered for my friends, the time of reflection came. After a comedy, the space takes a lighter form. It makes me want to laugh and hug the ones I love as I celebrate life and the fullness of friendship and family. It is very easy after seeing a comedy to jump straight from the show to the real world without reflecting on what I felt during the performance. The depth of human emotion is often not dealt with in a comedy because the purpose is entertainment. And I must confess, that I did not take time to soul-search after the curtains fell. Instead, I hurried to greet the cast and congratulate them on a great performance, while wishing them well on their opening weekend. It was an opportunity missed to reflect on the themes of friendship, annoyance, perseverance and balance and I forgot to take it as I stood from my chair and left the theatre doors behind.


Missing my first chance on Thursday, I was not going to miss the opportunity Sunday when I went to see a production of "Bare: A Pop Opera" put on my MAD Theatre. The show is being preformed at the The Straz's Shimberg Playhouse and is also performing another weekend. Tickets can be purchased here.

My friends Jen Marshal directed and Philip King music directed, which was my pull for seeing it. I was unfamiliar with the piece, but knew what the basic premise was after a conversation during the rehearsal process with Jen. Going into the little black box theatre, I knew that I was in for an emotional ride. The performances of this talented group were spectacular. Each lead, supporting and ensemble member portrayed their characters with accuracy and honesty, which was refreshing in this small theatre.There were a few laughs along the way, but my heart was wrenched as the various high school seniors struggled with their identity. They brought me into their world as an audience member and by the end of the show, I had run the gamete of emotions with all of the cast.

I said my congrats on a fabulous show to Jen and Phil, and then took time to reflect in my car. Riding in silence for an hour is not a habit of mine, but it was needed to process all of the ideas and feeling I had been exposed to during the show. The show literally brought me to another time and place where I struggled with my own identity as a young lady, and I hadn't been there in over twelve years.

Sharing what I felt and dealt with after the show with all of you would be too intimate. The other thing about the space after the show that I haven't shared with you is that it is deeply personal, if you let it. Just as reading a fantastic book or listening to a stirring piece of music can move you in an indescribable way, a wonderful piece of theatre can do the same. And "Bare: A Pop Opera" did just that this weekend. Please take time to see this show next weekend. You won't have the same experience as me, but I know that the cast will move you in a way you don't expect them to.


And my hope is that you take time in the space after the show to find yourself and leave knowing more of who you are. That is what good theatre is all about.

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