"Shrek the Musical" and Some Advice as it Relates to Theater

Well it's official, I've heard "Its's a great big beautiful world" 500 more times than the average person should hear it in a single life time. 

For those of you who are unaware, that is the opening song of “Shrek the musical” which my high school is performing and I am on the stage crew for. First of all let me just say that I love theater but I am not an aspiring actress because I can't act for shit. Second; this play is so. Much. Fun. Being apart of the stage crew, is even better.

Does anyone ever have that feeling where you all of a sudden feel like you "belong"? Like I'm not tying to be the depressed, loner, "my life is so hard", "I don't belong anywhere” high school student; what I'm talking about is on a much broader spectrum.

Let me take it back.

Nope, she's not Shrek.... Sam Bedworth

For those of you who have read my first post ever, you know I was quite a shy and awkward child. Not much has changed except that I'm not as shy, and just more awkward. But recently, I have decided that I am going to be less awkward, and try as hard as I possibly can to just not let myself be uncomfortable in situations that can seemingly lead to complete and utter embarrassment. 

I’ve learned from being apart of the production of this play, is that  things won't affect you unless YOU let it. In other words, if you are hit in the head with a rock, stabbed in the chest, or shot in the heart, you can be sure that there will be some kind of a negative affect. But if someone told you that you look like shit, it's you who decides if that comment bothers you, if it will make you cry, if it will make you feel bad about yourself. We automatically assume that when someone insults us we should feel insulted, ridiculed, or put down, but the thing is that we don't have to feel that way unless we chose too. Obviously its not nice to tell someone that they look like shit, but this is planet earth, and we are all humans who aren't very nice all of the time. 

We can be rude, vulgar, horrible creatures, but only if we choose to be. So next time someone tells you that you look like shit, turn around, smile at them, say thank you, and go get some pizza. The next time that you want to tell someone that they look like shit, realize first, do you have something against this person? Second, realize that if you are trying to hurt them for some unknown reason, that may or may not be justified, know that insults are weak, and I personally believe that they are kind of pathetic. 

So I'm not worried that people are going to insult me; I'm worried that I am going to either do or say something that will cause an unwanted effect. So I'm the one who ends up standing alone in the corner with my mouth locked shut, and my feet in the same position they’ve been in the whole time.

I worry that I’ll say the “wrong” word, walk the “wrong” way do the “wrong” thing, and feel guilty afterwards for doing absolutely nothing! But if I do the “wrong” thing, its me who chooses if I go cry in the corner about it or just laugh it off. Just last night I was talking to a new friend, and I started a conversation (this is huge for me, I am the antichrist of conversation starting). It was all going great, I didn’t stutter, laughed, this kind human talked back, but then I walked away thinking that the conversation was over, but as the stage door closes behind me I hear that he is still talking. I immediately regret walking awday and my brain decides to jump to the conclusion that this human hates me and I am consumed with uncontrollable guilt all because I walked away from a conversation the I thought had ended. But then I think, why? Why would this be a reason for them to hate me; its not like I murdered his family or chopped off his leg, I made a mistake that doesn’t need to result in me feeling guilty for the next who knows how long. I decide to not think about this minuscule mistake but think back on how I made a new friend, and I am no longer consumed with this uncontrollable guilt. 

  It might seem impossible to do this because their your feelings, and feelings happen no matter what, but what happens after you feel that little bit of regret or shame, is up to you.

Damn… when did this post turn into an advice column? Whatever, this is some inspirational shit right here so I'm gonna keep going. 

But back to that feeling of belonging; I felt it when I worked on this musical. 

While sitting back stage and singing along to literally every song, I wasn’t worried I would say, or do, or wear something that would make for an awkward situation, because everyone else is either wearing ridiculously fabulous costumes, or singing a really catchy (and honestly, slightly annoying) song. The rest of the stage crew was focused on the story being told. 

Part of why I love the theater so much is while an actor is doing their job, its all up to them, no one else. If they make the audience cry, smile, or laugh its them who choose the effect they have on the audience. On the opening night Fiona’s crown came off which could have been really bad (I remember all of our simultaneous intakes of breath as this happened), but instead of letting it fall to the ground, she grabbed it, smiled, and made the audience laugh. She chose to not let this effect the story, but to make it even better instead. 

So yes, Shrek the Musical was fantastic and while most would think it to be boring as hell to sit around and move scenery on and off the stage - don’t get me wrong it totally was at times, all of us just wanted to go home - but I have absolutely no regrets.

Well the only thing I may regret is hearing “Its a great big beautiful world” 5000000000000000000000000 times, and it will probably haunt my dreams for the rest of eternity. 

See Ya!

Olivia

P.S

This has absolutely nothing to do with this post but heres another fabulous book tuber because why the hell not. https://www.youtube.com/user/jessethereader/videos