Sibling Theatre

When I was growing up, I was fascinated by theatre. Watching the Tony Awards annually, marveling at how the performers danced and sang on stage, I was in awe of these performers and how they managed to captivate their audiences.

I would often imagine myself in their shoes; performing a tight dance number and posing at the end with my chest heaving, taking my bows before an adoring crowd, accepting an award for my amazing work, and thanking God and my loved ones.

I didn’t have the opportunity to participate in theatre until I was in college. Though I saw few performances on field trips, I didn't have an authentic Broadway experience until I was in high school.

A friend recommended the Wicked soundtrack to me, and I soon became obsessed. I introduced it to my sister, and we soon found a bootleg copy online (something I wouldn’t recommend overall, but it is what it is). Before long, my sister and I were always dueting as Glinda and Elphaba - battle cry and all.

When the new movie came out, I asked her which part she used to sing. Alto all the way, she told me, which means that I was trilling out Galinda’s high notes. That tracks. It was a bonding thing for us, later expanded to Hamilton once I was able to see it.

Some of my fondest memories with my sister are when we would sing together. It was our little connection to theatre when we weren’t able to participate in it directly.

This was sweetened when I got involved in both college theatre and the local community theatre. It started with her tagging along to my rehearsals, where my boss gave her the nickname “Mini Janis” (which she hated). As time went on, she started to get more involved; being a stagehand and helping with costumes and props.

She performed in the children’s show, which I assistant-directed and stage-managed, a couple of times. Rehearsal for her show would be in the afternoons, then we’d go home, grab some food, and then we’d head back for my summer musical rehearsal in the evening. Summertimes became days practically lived at the theatre between rehearsals, set construction/decoration, and costume preparation.

My brother soon joined the mix, interested in the technical aspects of theatre; lighting, sound, and things of that nature. We became well-known at the community theatre, and they would often call on us when they needed stagehands or someone to work the soundboard.

There was a lot of learning on our part, both behind the scenes and on stage. Slowly we learned the art of calling cues in a show, setting the lighting, and adjusting the sound. My sister and I became proficient at helping actors through quick changes. I was the co-costume designer on a show and helped to source pieces from the costume storage and local thrift stores.

After off-handedly asking the director of the children’s show who was going to be her assistant director for the regular season opener, I became assistant director. Because of the nature of the show, and also my experiences at the ballroom dance club, I became the choreographer as well.

One of the coolest things about this show, which was completely the director’s idea, is that the two people who were changing the set between scenes were also demonstrating the dances that were done in the previous scene. So while my dance partner and I danced, my sister served as one of the stagehands, helping with costume changes and arranging props backstage.

My brother and I proved our adaptability when, during the opening day of performances for the children’s show, he and I figured out how to set the lights and the sound. We were mildly panicked, hours before our first performance, but we figured it out and things ran smoothly.

I have so many wonderful memories of being at the community theatre with my siblings in various capacities. There are pictures galore of us in cast/crew photos, and even more behind-the-scenes pictures that my sister took.

I haven’t performed in years, but I dug out my voice to sing along with the new Wicked soundtrack. I remember all of the times that my sister and I sang together, whether it was Phantom of the Opera or Hamilton. I dream of one day bringing her to New York to experience Broadway, at least once. (I don’t think my brother would be as excited to simply sit through a show instead of working it.) Because after all, some part of my performer spirit has always been tied to her. And I'll never forget the times that the three of us spent doing theater together.