One of the greatest aspects of theatre is not just the wonderful stories, the gorgeous songs, the thrill of live performances (although all those things are amazing!); it’s the friendships that are made throughout the process; the camaraderie that grows during show week; and the sense of pride in working together with a group of people to make a memorable (and yet temporary) piece of art. And while theatre is a temporary medium (show runs end, sets get dismantled, costumes get repurposed), the friendships made can (and do!) live on in our hearts, in our memories, in our scrapbooks, and hopefully in real life too!

I love reading peoples’ quotes about the shows they’re in, especially after closing night, when emotions run high. Here are a few quotes I’ve seen floating about on social media recently:

• “I will never forget the amazing friendships I’ve made throughout this process.”
• “This was one of my favourite shows to work on and it’s all because of the amazing artistic team and all you talented performers! I love you guys!”
• “Just want to say that I can’t stop freaking balling my eyes out because I miss you all already! You have been the best cast ever, so talented, funny, sweet and supportive, couldn’t have asked for a better cast and show! We’ve worked so hard but it all paid off!”
• “I have been a part of terrible shows that ended up being super-memorable and great experiences because of the friendships I made. We banded together to survive.”

And here is some friendly (see what I did there?) advice about friendship in the theatre:

• “Remember that the purpose of theatre is to make magic, so be magic as much as you can.”
• “Be nice to your castmates & crew. Show week will be torturous if you don’t get along with someone. Try your best to keep the drama onstage (not backstage!) as much as possible.”
• “Be supportive of your castmates & crew because it is a great experience and you can make a lot of friends.”
• “And most importantly; have fun! Because time tends to fly, and before you know it you’ll wish you were going to your first rehearsal!”

Thanks to Aimee Adler, Marcy Gallant, Ben McVittie, Lindsey Runhart & Blake Smith for their contributions!

Further Reading: Theatre Thoughts: Creating Community