The End: An Introspection

Being a part of a theatre production is an experience unlike any other. Participating in a theatre piece is essentially participating in a piece of living art. The final product is constantly changing and each time the piece of art is presented to an audience, it is different and new. I truly felt like an integral piece in this ever-changing display of art like the finishing tile of a mosaic. Being a member of the cast of “Arsenic and Old Lace” has allowed me to discover how sincerely impacting theater can be. Good theater does not act merely as an outlet for entertainment, but as a vessel for thought provocation and change. Merely attending a performance can result in this enlightenment, but even more impacting is being a member of the performance. Acting can be such an illuminating experience, allowing the actor to look at the character he plays through the lens of his own experiences and assess his own real life actions through the eyes of his character. Although this sounds like a metaphysical and slightly erroneous nightmare, I’ve found this to be true. Playing the role of Martha Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace” has allowed me to look at myself in a number of different angles. Because Martha and I are so similar, this has been quite fascinating for me. I was able to look at her flaws as a character and assess why she acted this way. By allowing myself this opportunity, I was able to look at my own flaws and assess through the events in the play why I acted this way. For example, I often find myself trying to placate everyone. By observing this flaw of my own through Martha’s character, I realized that this goal of mine to please everyone was impossible and at times counter productive. By observing Martha’s interactions with Jonathan especially, I realized the damage that could be done by such placating responses. I realize that this sounds fabricated, but I really did go through a period of introspection after the show. The power that a character wields to change the thoughts and emotions of its actor is incredible and almost unfathomable if one has not had to opportunity to experience it. Being a part of this amazing experience has taught me so many things, not only about theatre, but about myself.