Why Theatre? A Journey of Confidence, Community, and Belonging

I still remember my first ever performance… a self-choreographed rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in my living room. This was followed by endless reenactments of my favourite movies such as The Little Mermaid and The Little Mermaid 2 starring my sister Sarah and me, (I was Ariel, of course). Soon after this, my parents decided it was time to enroll me in theatre classes, and I joined the Junior Stage program at Theatre Orangeville. I remember being so excited to put on my prettiest dress and show my parents all of the things I had learned in the final showcase. Later, I joined the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers (T.O.Y.S.) Choir, which was to be a part of that year's production of The Gift of the Magi. I was so excited to dress up in a costume and perform on the big stage… Imagine my disappointment when I was handed a pair of brown pants and was told we would be singing from the audience. I was so jealous of the actors who got to be onstage that, after the show, I stomped my foot and told my mom, “This sucks!” Then I pointed to the stage and said, “I want to be up there”.

It’s safe to say I had been bitten by the theatre bug.

Like many people, I spent many years trying to figure out where I fit in. School was not always easy for me, and I couldn’t understand why the things we learned came so much easier to my classmates than it did for me. I was also bullied for being sensitive. My social and general anxiety really affected my confidence and made things like presentations and talking to people extremely difficult. I tried many different sports, hoping to find my “thing”, but nothing seemed to click.

That changed when I discovered theatre.

The first time I walked into a rehearsal space, I knew I had found something special. For the first time in my life, I found a group of people that understood me. My first show on the main stage felt magical. As the lights dimmed, the music began, and butterflies filled my stomach, nothing had ever felt so right. At that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

In 2018, my biggest dream came true when I was cast as Schwartz in Theatre Orangeville’s production of A Christmas Story. This was my first-ever professional production, and I was so excited. Doing this show was the most amazing experience of my life. I met so many amazing people and learned so much about the theatre industry. This show was the moment when my fun little hobby turned into something real. For the first time, I thought, “maybe I can really do this.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, theatre disappeared from my life overnight. Like most people, I was stuck in a rut doing the same thing day after day. Something was missing. Theatre had become such an important part of who I am that, without it, I felt like I had lost a piece of myself. When I was finally able to return to the stage, it felt as though the magic had returned to my life. In 2021, I was able to come back to one of my favourite places: Theatre Orangeville Young Company. The show that year was Clue: High School Edition, and we were a small but mighty cast performing in a tent outside, but despite all obstacles, being back in that environment with those people again reminded me just how much theatre means to me.

In 2023, I was invited to join the Theatre Orangeville Board of Directors as the Youth Advisor/Representative. Being able to support an organization that has been like a second home to me, while helping to represent the voices of young people in our community, has been one of the greatest honours of my life. I have learned so much through this experience and am grateful for every opportunity it has given me.

As I have gotten older, I have also had the privilege of teaching some of the academy classes at Theatre Orangeville. Returning to the classes that I was once a part of as a child, this time as a teacher, has been such a full-circle experience. I started out as a volunteer in 2023 and eventually became the Program Director for the Tiny Stars. Seeing the impact these amazing programs continue to have on young people has been incredibly rewarding. It is even more meaningful knowing that I now have the opportunity to provide children with the same safe and supportive environment that my teachers created for me. Watching these young performers grow in confidence, discover their creativity, and flourish onstage has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

After 25 productions, countless rehearsals, years of learning, and opportunities to serve as both a board member and a teacher, I finally have the answer to the question I have been asked countless times:

Why theatre?

For a long time, I struggled to answer this question. Why would a girl with such little confidence, someone who dreaded presentations and struggled to speak to others, be drawn to the thing that requires vulnerability, getting up in front of hundreds of people, and risk-taking? The answer has never been the applause, costumes, or attention. The answer is the people. The family that theatre creates. Every production I have been a part of has given me not only a community, but a family. Theatre gave me a place where I could make mistakes without the fear of judgment and where creativity and individuality were celebrated. For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged. Over the past thirteen years, I have grown not only as a performer but as a person. Through theatre, I have gained confidence I never thought I could possess and have learned that it's okay to make mistakes. Theatre has shown me that with hard work, dedication, and belief in yourself, you can accomplish more than you ever imagined.

As I prepare to leave for university, I am filled with gratitude. For thirteen years, theatre has given me so much. It has given me a safe place to learn, grow, take risks, and discover who I am. I have found a second home with Theatre Orangeville, and I know that its impact on my life will stay with me forever. Long after I leave, new students will put on costumes for the first time, discover their confidence, make lifelong friends, and find a place where they belong, just like I did.

Thirteen years ago, a little girl pointed at the stage and declared that she wanted to be up there. Even at a young age, she recognized the magic of theatre, even though she couldn’t fully explain it. Theatre gave her confidence as well as purpose. It gave her a community, a family, and a place where she belonged. For that, I will always be grateful.