A couple of years ago, in the Theatre and Performance rooms at the Victoria & Albert Museum, I felt joyful as I walked around the three rooms filled with costumes, photos, props and other memorabilia from theatre and musical performances. When I arrived at the to-scale models of set designs of plays, tears streamed down my face. I cannot explain why. However, I felt a sense of connectedness to past experiences.
When I was ten years old, my mom took me to see my first musical comedy, “Bye, Bye Birdie.” I loved the entire experience: the music, story, costumes, acting and dancing. I told my mom, “I want to do that!” And the next year I tried-out for Youth Theatre Productions in Santa Barbara. I actually got a call back for a role in the straight play, but I didn’t get the part. The following year I tried-out again and was given the role of the lion-tamer in the chorus of “Carnival.” That began a series of high school parts as a dancer in musicals and an acting part in a one act play. What I recall most clearly is the experience of being on the stage as the orchestra played the overture and the curtain rose. I felt excitement and amazement that all of the work from hours of rehearsals had finally come together and we were putting on a play.
As I looked at the mini sets at the museum, I felt like I was coming home. For the past few years, I had been writing my first play. As a new playwright, I had gone back to my love of theatre, and it felt right. I feel like I have found a place to explore language, communication, ideas, and the drama in everyday life. Not only have I connected the dots in my own life, but I feel connected to others in a new way. Theatre is giving my life a new shape.
What I have seen many times in my work as a life coach is that my clients often let go of interests that they had when they were young only to rediscover them later in their lives, just as I have. This rediscovery can be magical. It may bring an energy and joy that we hadn’t anticipated. It also helps us not only to reconnect with a part of ourselves but also to connect with others in new ways.
How may I help you to find the connections in your life? What might you discover? The new year is an especially wonderful time to look into your life and explore what is next for you. I would love to be your partner. Let’s connect!