“All the world’s a stage” wise words written by Shakespeare…and Smash Mouth, but I am not here to write about any of them. I am here to express my deep love for my greatest love in life, theatre. Recently, I starred in my college’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. You know, that musical by Stephen Sondeheim, or that 2007 adaptation directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Deep in the title role. Moving on, I was lucky enough to play the coveted role of Johanna, the beautiful, bird-like, slightly neurotic girl that everyone is (lowkey) obsessed with. This role was so different from the characters I had the privilege to play in the past.
You see, usually I am cast as the funny, single friend to the romantic leads, but this time around, I found myself in the romantic lead. Don’t get me wrong, I have adored all the roles I have gotten to play these past three years, but this was a new challenge, like dealing with the pressures of commanding the stage. Johanna is presented as this pure being, and that can be kind of hard, especially dealing with such a dark show and morally complex characters surrounding her. Not only that, but portraying her emotional depth, the INSANE vocal demands, and living up to the legacy of this classic show, it felt daunting at first.
Being that the show closed less than a week ago, I wanted to share what I discovered about myself through this wonderful character.
I learned that I am resilient. I learned that I am grateful. I learned that I am a hopeless romantic with a little bit of cynicism. I learned that I can rock blue eyeliner (and should probably invest in a corset?). I learned that I underestimate my abilities when I shouldn’t. I learned that my vocal stamina is greater than I thought. I learned how to do a stage kiss (and not cringe in front of my family), but most of all, I learned that not everything is black and white. This is such a complex show, not only vocally but also morally. It really pushed me to not think that things are right or wrong. It pushed me to ask the questions, “How far would we go for the ones we love?” and “Are we ever truly satisfied with the truth?”
The point is, I learned that even in the darkest of times and moments there can, and will always be, that sign of hope. There’s a quote in the song that Johanna sings, and I think it perfectly sums up how I felt: “If I cannot fly, let me sing” or “ I feel you, Johanna” and I do in my heart even after the show closed. So thank you Johanna, you were beautiful, and thank you for letting me give you a voice.