Closing the curtain

Sitting in the auditorium of my former high school, I watched as the curtain opened, revealing a cast of characters – some faces familiar, others I had never seen before.

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It seemed like only yesterday I was on the other side, butterflies in my stomach as we prepared to present the show we had spent months working on to an audience for the first time. I had never felt anything else like it.

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As nerve-wracking and exciting as the process could be, none of it compared to the moment that curtain closes for the first time on opening night and we come out as a cast to take our bows. The uproarious applause and sound of people standing up out of their seats to applaud the cast and crew was nothing short of magical.

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For the longest time, this was my life. It felt like it would never end.

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Until it did.

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I remember my senior bow vividly. Lining up alongside my fellow seniors, roses clenched between our teeth. I had dreamt of this moment since my first show with the drama club in 8th grade, and it had finally become a reality.

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And then it was over.

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I was fortunate enough to go back this fall and see my high school’s musical, “The Addams Family,” over Thanksgiving break. Being in the audience was a drastic change from what I was used to, but I loved seeing the people I cared about take the stage.

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I ended up seeing the show three times.

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The final performance was the closing show, which meant senior bows. It happens at the end of every production – all seniors do it. I did it.

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But for some reason, it felt different this time. Watching from the audience was a new feeling, but that wasn’t the worst part. I felt an emptiness inside of me from not being up there as tears began to form in my eyes.

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It took me back to the moment I was up on that stage for my final bow. It hadn't felt like the end. Deep down, I knew that it was, but it hadn’t felt real.

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Only after being away from it and returning in that different, unfamiliar capacity did it hit me: that chapter of my life is over.

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It was time to move on. It wasn’t easy, but I found I got the same storytelling thrill through another outlet – writing.

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Theater has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve been putting on living room concerts and puppet shows since I learned how to talk, but of course, all good things must come to an end.

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It was finally time to close my curtain.