Graduation Speech: Belonging Analysis

The word “belonging” has always been sensitive to me, because, in essence, I’ve never felt I’ve truly belonged somewhere. Even young, I was among people from different cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds that cliqued together and was often alone. All I knew was being on stage and feeling the audience connected us in a surefire way. I wasn’t anyone else on stage but myself, and with this gift I could connect with anyone. I have always garnered some type of reaction from my audience that lets me know, in that moment, we’re present together, on the same Earth, at the same time, in the same space, while feeling the same thing; and that is the magic of theatre. It became apparent that belonging nowhere was a gift that afforded me the ability to live and communicate with

Most do not give theatre a chance, but they do find that theatre takes even the most unwilling soul and transforms itself into a mirror of the human condition. I will never forget why I do this. Truly, I say, my goal is to wake up every morning loving what I do-the arts. I will never forget the seventh grade students I had to supervise and the complete, utter chaos in the room while I did so; until I suddenly said, “We’re going to play a game where everyone guesses each others’ talents!” The silence that fell upon the room confirmed the need for the soul to be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged, and theatre acknowledges everyone, whether you’re wrong, right, evil, or good-it captures the entire human persona. Those students were fully invested in learning each other, and this touched us all. When an actor is able to touch someone, he or she has not used witchcraft or magicians’ folly but the magic of theatre which requires the soul. When someone can identify with a character, they can connect with a person who is that character, wants to be that character, or has been that