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Isabella Zhou

The chaotic but rewarding life of a theatre kid: a memoir from a graduating set manager



For someone who was an outwardly sheepish and apprehensive teenager, joining Theatre Company in grade eight was the last thing anyone expected of me. I was surprised by my own audacity.


As I first stepped through the theatre doors five years ago, my teeth clattering and hands shaking from anxiety, I fully expected my feet to disobey their orders and march myself right out of there. To say that I was socially anxious is an understatement - the prospect of being anywhere near a stage or the seemingly loud and overly-friendly theatre environment made me legitimately nauseous. However, after being inspired by the Handsworth play No Idea during a grade seven field trip, I made up my mind to join.


That day, I walked up when Ms. McGuinness called and signed my name in ink on the intimidatingly white sheet of paper.


It was the best decision of my high school life.


Throughout my five years at Sentinel Stage, I’ve witnessed countless outlandish things: from a humanoid-cat popping out of the floor of a second-story set, to our beloved principal dressed in a tight green bodysuit for the role of the Grinch, to a severely sleep deprived Set Kid apologising to a wall after bumping into it (admittedly, that was me), and seeing photographic evidence of an attempted stabbing (all in good humour). Though most of these events were seen through a delirious haze of fatigue after rehearsing for hours at a time, these are memories which I will hold dear for the rest of my life.


However, without a doubt, my best theatre memory is going to Denny’s every year at three in the morning on the last day of the show. The melancholic sentiment of graduating members enjoying their last Denny’s trip mixes with the exhilaration of receiving standing ovations into an intoxicating cocktail which I can never forget.


Theatre creates a unique environment in which the connections you make can last a lifetime – there are so many welcoming, creative, compassionate people eager to laugh with you and support you through whatever hardships may come your way. What I have experienced there has taught me so much more than a textbook ever could.


If you are considering joining Theatre Company, I would highly encourage you to sign up! Of course, be wise about whether it can fit into your schedule and decide if you are willing to invest a considerable amount of time into an extracurricular class. But, if you do join, I sincerely hope it will be as rewarding for you as it is for me.



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