Finding joy (and friends) in a community theater production of "Sister Act"
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My fellow sisters! Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
I was in middle school the last time I was in a musical, so I had no idea what to expect when I learned I'd been cast as Nun 7/Bar Patron 2 in St. Petersburg City Theatre's production of "Sister Act."
Why it matters: Not to be dramatic but… it's turned out to be one of the most meaningful experiences of my adult life.
Catch up quick: Singing has always been an outlet for me, but what they don't tell you as you're weeping post-performance happy tears and thinking to your sweet, naive self, "I want to do this forever!" is how few opportunities there are to perform as a working adult.
- I was lamenting this reality to my friend Kari while swimming laps at the YMCA (my other outlet), and she mentioned the local theater where she volunteers building sets had a couple musicals coming up.
- Worried I was coming down with a stomach bug, the theater let me audition virtually, and I sent off a video I never want to watch again of me stumbling through the first few verses of "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked." (Ambitious, I know.)
State of play: Rehearsals started at the beginning of February, and we had until opening night on March 28 to put together a two-hour performance with lines, music and choreography memorized.
- All of a sudden, I was spending 10-plus hours a week at a place I'd been to just once before with a bunch of people I didn't know (aside from one former newspaper colleague — turns out the journalism-to-musical pipeline is strong).
If this sounds like your personal nightmare, I get it! But consider this:
- What if some of those strangers become friends you'll keep well beyond this show, hopefully forever?
- What if that unfamiliar venue becomes your Third Place, a concept that you didn't even think applied to you because you almost always prefer to be at home in the company of your cat?
- What if, on opening night, you cry post-performance happy tears again, and when your friends and family tell you how happy you looked up there on stage, singing and dancing your face off in a nun costume alongside a bunch of new friends, you say, "I was. I was so happy"?
Anyway, just something to think about!
What's next: We've got three more shows this weekend, and I'll be relishing every second.
- And if you want to see it for yourself, you can buy tickets here.