Ladies and gentleman, for the first-time ever, I’d like to announce some exciting news – groundbreaking, a thriller, a real once-in-a-lifetime, “I can’t believe she did it” kind of update…yours truly has just gone to see a play all by herself.
*Hold for applause as the crowd goes wild.*
Okay, dramatic? Perhaps. But this is about the stage, after all… As such, I thought I’d talk a bit about my first-ever experience going to the theatre alone. What prompted the decision was really just a matter of practicality. You see, about a month ago, I saw that Chicago was coming to Toronto. I really wanted to go, but as I looked up the dates and the seating chart, I found myself a bit stuck in terms of who to invite. I have a close-knit family, but most of them don’t typically enjoy the theatre – and when they do want to come along, it’s usually something pretty specific to their tastes. Naturally, I thought about my friends next, but I was hit with some guilt. Many of my friends are married or working in less permanent jobs… translation: money is tight, and my own preference to splurge on tickets when I go would maybe create some awkwardness.
So, then I thought next about… well, myself. I realized that there could be real power in being able to pick a date and time that suited my own needs. I relished in the idea of sitting front row – something I’ve never done, but have come close to before. I thought about how nice it might be to just go and do my own thing and not really stress about any other party. Of course, I still hesitated. Reading a book, meditating, and going for a short neighbourhood stroll are all things I love to do on a solitary basis. However, there are certain activities (like going to live theatre) that I’ve simply never experienced solo. I wondered if I would feel a bit odd about the whole thing. Putting aside the “what if” though, I just booked the ticket.
When I got to the theatre, I did so super early because I hate crowds and long lineups. And you know who got a bit annoyed about needing to arrive ahead of time? Nobody! I hung out in the lobby and made conversation with a few fellow keeners and a staff person. Once inside the venue a bit further, I ran into my older brother’s high school friend and his wife. We killed some time together and caught up – it had been years, so this was truly a “small world” kind of feeling. Admittedly, I felt a tiny bit strange when I told my friend I was there alone, but that quickly dissipated. Once allowed inside to the actual stage area, I made my way confidently up to the front after an usher asked me if I knew the way. Pshh… of course I did! I had been excited all day long. I found my seat and flipped through the program for a good twenty minutes. Eventually a couple came next to me and while the male party definitely glanced me up and down a bit curiously, I reminded myself not to worry myself with what a complete stranger may or may not be thinking.
When the lights dimmed and the music started blaring, and the crowd went wild (I kid you not, by the way, there were some serious Chicago fans in the audience), I felt perfectly at ease. The show was fantastic. I had seen the movie before, but unlike some other patrons, I had never seen it live and I’d heard mixed reviews. Truly though, it was legitimately one of the best shows that I’ve seen! In true musical fashion, it was just one great song after another. There were many I was familiar with from the film, but many were totally new to me. The actors did an impeccable job – it was a small ensemble cast and they each had to play multiple characters. The orchestra and the score were on point the whole night, too. Finally, at the end of it all, the leading actress was given a bouquet of red roses while on stage. She threw one out to the crowd – seeming to make eye contact and nod first at her intended target. Then, she threw another. And last, she came to me and pointing with the rose, she gave me the nod and tossed it pretty much right to me. (Funny enough, I had a mental exercise with this because literally right before she came my way, I was praying that she NOT come to me… whenever people throw things into crowds, I get a bit nervous because I know some people get aggressive and I just normally like to steer clear of that possible commotion). While the rose was mid-air though, I just knew that I really wanted that damn flower. I leapt forward slightly since it was just before me and caught it. The actress on stage nodded again and smirked, as if to say “nice”. I’m pretty sure we had a moment… I took some selfies with my prize and walked to the subway station proudly. On the way, I paused to take some pictures of a few guys who wanted a group shot. I let nostalgia wash over me as I thought about the city and all the times I had spent in my mid-twenties with friends at various malls, little vegan restaurants, sushi places, cafes, and of course – theatre houses.
Riding home, I thought more about the theatre and how blessed I felt to have seen not only a great performance that night, but many nights before. While I’m no theatre buff, I’m grateful for the role the stage has played in my life. In grad school, I remember once a rowdy woman got aggressive with me and a friend for really no reason. After complaining to the theatre about their lack of discretion when serving clearly intoxicated patrons more alcohol, two great things happened: 1) I learned the value in paying for a seat closer to the action instead of the cheapest ones in the house where you couldn’t see anything anyway, and, 2) I was gifted two free tickets to another play. The play I saw next with my freebies turned out to be the foundation for a dating relationship in grad school. That guy and I roamed Toronto several times together, and when he took me to Niagara Falls to meet his family and ask me to be his girlfriend, I was gifted with such warm feelings of innocent young love – and that was all thanks to a random meet-up at the theatre (eerrr…a drunk woman, I guess, too…).
Then there were the community park plays I saw as a tradition with my two close friends every summer in Toronto’s High Park. I also dragged my brother and mom to plays over time, and I was once given a ticket to see David Arquette perform in Sherlock Holmes. Last year, I went to Broadway for the first time, and while in Vegas, I caught a Cirque De Soleil show – and can we just pause here? There are people who literally dream of one day seeing a performance in either of these places. Somehow, I’ve been fortunate enough to see both!
More importantly though, when I think of all the memories I’ve made and all the bonds I’ve strengthened around the theatre, I’m in awe. It’s something I don’t normally think of, but it really does bring me so much joy… and now, I get to say that I took something I loved and used it to solidify a new type of bond… one with myself. The relationship we have with our own beings is so easily overlooked if we’re not careful, so why not try and give yourself a new memory of you-time? I know I’m super invigorated from this experience and I’m already thinking of the next solo adventure I can have soon. In fact, I’ve just bought two more solo tickets to plays next Autumn.
But if based on everything I’ve outlined above, you think that the stage is best shared, I totally get it. Next year, Beetlejuice is coming to Toronto, and I’d love to have someone there for that one. Without a doubt, all of these can spark great conversation – but they equally be a source of happiness all on your own. So, no offense to Velma Kelly in Chicago…but when she sings, “I just can’t do it alone”, she’s wrrroooongg. You can do it!