This last summer, I performed in my 10th musical at my hometown’s community theater, Appleseed. Over the years at Appleseed, I have been in Oliver!, The Music Man, Seussical the Musical, Children of Eden, Singing in the Rain, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Damn Yankees, Beauty and the Beast, Willy Wonka and most recently, Tarzan.
When someone is in a musical, they usually form a familial connection with specific people because they spend so much time together. I have felt this connection in all the musicals that I’ve been in, but with Tarzan, I experienced that feeling with every single person in the cast.
I joined three weeks late because I was in a different musical in my college town, and even though I didn’t have those three weeks, I came in knowing most of the people and formed an immediate relationship with those who I did not know from previous productions. By the end of the show, I made bonds with a multitude of absolutely amazing people that I know will last for years.
When the lights faded and the curtain closed on the last show, I felt the saddest I had ever been. Many people in the cast were crying throughout the production as we got closer to the end, especially during the few sad concluding scenes. Although everyone felt gloomy that the show ended, we were glad to form a family that will continue on to future Appleseed productions.
Even with it being a month after the musical has ended, I am in a group chat that we use to coordinate “family dinners” and game nights with several of the cast members. My theater family is the best ever, and nothing can replace it!