I Love the Theatre!

by: Ronald S. Habana

I don't know the thing about it that makes me really happy and makes me jump right off my feet. Call it corny or what but I definitely LOVE the theatre specially musicals; I don't know maybe it's the music, the singing, the dancing, or the actors but you just can't take it out of my favorites list!

From Mamma Mia! to Sweeney Todd, from Grease to The Sound of Music. I just love the numbers, and the way the actors transition from acting to singing, the scenarios, the grandeure and the loudness. From Noli Me Tangere to Ibong Adarna, from Drama to Comedy. The emotions and the hard-hitting scenes that give me goose bumps.

I think it's the joy, excitement and happiness that it cast from its stage to my heart.

Since elementary, I've been fascinated of all the dancing and the shows that happen on the stage. Fortunately for me, I kind of have (in my own little things) what it gets to somehow live this fascination and turn this into veracity. Thanks to my parents' gene. I was blessed with versatility; a little bit of dancing here, acting there and singing here.

It started off as a school activity that led into more exciting things. Next thing I know, I was a regular performer in our school, say it's a play, a musical or just plain singing and dancing. I was struck by the stage life that I've almost craved for it. I wanted to perform in almost every chance and hear all the applause and cheering of the crowd. I was very young, wild.

It was then when I realized that this "stage life" of mine was getting on my academics and that it's demanding nature is slowly taking my focus away from my studies. I quitted.

High school came, and popularity versus infamy entered my mindset. If other schools have cheerleaders and varsity players on the top of their popularity list, we had the Theatre Club. Just when I thought that my "stage life" is over, the opportunity strike and the flame within me reignited. I was very anxious but at the same time I was kind of hesitant and doubtful; high school is different, it's not like elementary anymore where life is as easy as counting and reading. I was facing fear pressure and all that to live up with my family's expectation. I must focus on my studies. I must graduate with flying colors.

And so I turned it down but I was somehow hoping that the theatre would open its curtains once again for me.

Third year came, I was having a good time, probably the best time of my high school life; I had a lot of friends, my grades were good, and the chance I've been waiting for came, but this time it wasn't me who bit the oppuotunity for it was the theatre who did. Talk about luck! I finally got a part on our major school play which earned a lot of applause from the biggest audience of that time. Our play lasted for three days. We were doing two runs a day. I was having one of the best times of my high school life. By the end of the play/musical, I went home with a "Best Actor in a Cameo Role Award" not bad! I would love to do it again.

College came, and my mindset changed, this stage life of mine seemed to be fading away but it's all good with me. I made a promise to my parents that I would do great in my academics and that maybe somehow I would graduate with honors. Time in time, I was able to convert this fascination of mine into just plain interest. Thanks to movie musicals, I was able to feed my aspiration but it would also be very enormous for me to once again step on to the stage. But then, this production/ event of our college came that required each section to come up with a rendition of all time classic musicals. I got excited. Once again I wanted to bite the opportunity but this time without hesitation because I knew that reluctance would only get me as far as nowhere and that regrets would soon fill my mind. Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut in the first chance but what are the chances? Anything could happen in such time, and so at a very good timing, once again the stage's curtains reopened. I'm into it again.

And now that I got the part, I would do the best that I can. I would love to see the crowd smile at me again and hear their roaring applause. Even at the smallest part, I'm going to make it sure that I would have the time of my life for in the end it would only make me happy.

Image from: Wikimedia Brasil.com