A place for me

That is what I hope to find at the 5th Avenue.

On Wednesday, I hopped on a ferry and headed to the big city for a lesson with an artistic producer at the theatre. On this particular day, he was using a small rehearsal room backstage, and my instructions were to go to the alley behind the theatre, find the door marked "stage door" and tell the attendant I was attending a class. Will you believe . . . . I got excited as soon as I walked into the alley! I found the stage door, and when I opened it I just felt like I was home! People using the stage door are part of the program - the singers, actors, musicians, lighting and sound techs, production team. Entering that door, you are no longer an audience member, you are IN . . . a bonafide participant in the magic happening on and around that stage.

Yes, I was just there for a lesson, not a production, but my visceral reaction upon entering that space confirmed to me once more that the stage is where I'm meant to be. You say I should find my passion? Done! I can't put it into words, but I know that everyone has something like this in their lives that moves their souls and makes them feel more alive than any other time.

Well, after being greeted by the friendly and helpful stage door attendant who called me by name and welcomed me as if we were old pals, I made my way up the stairs to wait until my lesson began. I am not ashamed to say I wandered in the hallway a teeny bit and felt my heart swell at the sight of large dressing rooms and rehearsal schedules. I wanted to tuck myself into a corner and observe all the action for that night's performance. Even more, I knew that I wanted to be back one day for the real deal - my own performance.

I was warmly greeted by each person I encountered, and even offered cake from their opening night celebration! Then, a minute or two before my lesson was to start, I felt a little vibration in the floor and a beautiful sound of multiple voices in harmony rose up around me: a rehearsal! They were doing a quick tune-up of a few things and I got to hear it! I snuck into the stairwell just a little, and I must confess I probably would have inched as close as I could get to the stage if I had any more time!

The lesson itself went extremely well, and I learned a lot that makes me much more confident about my audition in a few weeks. It was a lovely day, and as I walked back to my car in the sunshine I couldn't help but feel optimistic.