Last weekend, my fellow ITO and I had the privilege of going to New York City to work at the annual flea market for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. It was an outstanding experience for so many reasons. The energy of the crowd at the flea market was amazing, from opening till closing. There was an inspiring atmosphere that was created from our community, as we all joined together on one day to help a great cause. The determination of those working at the flea market was definitely something to be cherished- as everyone was ecstatic to work their hardest, even at 8 am on a Sunday morning. The organization of this event amazed me- and it was so nice to see how many people came to raise money for BC/EFA. To top it all off, it was a beautiful day last Sunday- the weather combined with the happiness of everyone participating, and it was a pleasant environment.
I've got to say, the highlight of the event for me was talking to fellow theatre lovers, who came as far as Florida (from what I heard). There were stories that I will keep in the back of my mind forever, as a reminder of how wonderful this community is. These stories inspired me so much as a leader of this society, and just brought so much joy to my life. Pertaining to this society, it was really nice to talk to fellow Thespians, Thespian alumni, and soon-to-be Thespians! I talked to students from my region that want to charter a troupe, and I even had the privilege of hearing from a mother and a daughter who have just started a troupe at their school! The excitement they had reminded me of the excitement I had when I was inducted- something I think we all felt when we became a part of this amazing society.
By far the most beautiful story I heard during the event, however, came from a grown man that had been digging through our boxes of playbills for at least 20 minutes. It was early in the event, so when he came up to me with a stack of 24 playbills, I said, "Wow, sir. I think you've bought the most playbills so far!" He smiled, and began to tell me that he was very close to his mother- a fellow theatre lover. He continued, saying that his mother has been slowly losing her memory and his plan was to sit down and go through these playbills with her, in hopes of regaining some of her memory.
I found this to be one of the greatest reminders of why I love being a part of this community. The power and beauty of theatre is so evident in our every day lives, and the impact it has had is tremendous. Hearing stories of others in our world of theatre inspires me to be a great leader- knowing the beauty of what we create every single day, and wanting to share that with the world. I think the reason I am so passionate about helping others to create a start in their journey with our society is because I keep hearing stories like these. They are encouragements for me personally, everyday, to get more people involved in our society.
I encourage you all to find inspirations like these to remind you of why you love ITS, and to make that love even stronger!
Thank you all for being a part of this beautiful community that benefits people every single day.