1. Waiting to hear which play/musical would be put on next was more suspenseful than getting your AP Bio test back.
2. Auditions filled you with so much hope every time. What if this was your year?
3. The day you got a part other than “chorus” was a glorious one.
4. But being a chorus member/dancer had its perks, like having more time to hang out with your friends backstage.
5. Getting a script on the first day always made you feel so legit.
6. And you always wrote your script notes in pencil, because A.) no stage direction was too permanent and B.) you would one day have to return the scripts
7. Costume day. Was. The. Best.
8. Doing each others’ hair and makeup was a bonding experience like no other.
9. Between pit band and tech crew, you met so many people you probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.
10. You fell in love with at least one really talented and perfect boy.
11. And seeing people couple up from playing love interests was always adorable.
(Spider-Man never fails to produce real-life couples. Get on it, high school drama clubs of the world.)
12. Being on stage, even if in the background, gradually got you more comfortable with being in front of an audience.
13. You collected all the playbills of the shows you were in.
14. You were constantly inspired -- whether to write/direct your own show, or simply practice your choreography more.
15. You saw winning an award as a practice Oscar.
If only "Most Improved" could be an award for all endeavors in life.
16. And you viewed drama club banquets as rehearsal Tonys.
17. You may not have been as popular as the athletes, but people still filled up the auditorium to see a show you helped put up, and that was really validating.
18. Cast parties meant one thing: MAKE OUT WITH YOUR CRUSH.
19. You learned a lot of new fancy terminology, like "fourth wall", "blocking" and "striking".
20. Everyone had a pair of these.
21. Getting to wear prosthetics or made to look like an old person was always amusing.
22. You took superstitions seriously for the first time in your life.
23. And you never made fun of your pre-show traditions because they meant that much.
24. You got to go on field trips to see live theater!
25. Striking the set at the end of a show was always an emotional experience.
26. You got to see an entire production come together in 2-3 months, and it taught you how much work creating something good really required.
27. And even if only lasted 4 performances, it was TOTALLY WORTH IT.
28. You had a large support group of friends who understood you and who cried with you when it was all over.
