Full Circle

My journey with ECTC has been a long one spanning from ages eight to twenty.

Back when I was a little girl attempting to make sense of the world, ECTC gave me a place to call home. I learned to express myself, find my voice, and I was granted the opportunity to escape from whatever reality threw my way and lose myself in the world of creating theatre. As I got older and continued with theatre, continued creating– playing, life got harder and that made me realize just how important this space to create was to me. I realized how supported I was within these walls, how the friends I had made in theatre continued to uplift each other as we grew up into the people we are today. I began to conceptualize in my fifteen year old mind that theatre was not simply an “escape” but an artform that had the unique ability to connect a group of people from all walks of life into a fleeting moment of connection where, for a split second we are all in complete understanding of the human experience– we can all, laugh, cry and create together. 

Now five years later, I find myself back in the same rooms I once played in. Some faces are familiar– my old teachers now taking shape as my co workers and creative teams, still forever teaching me new ways to create. Some faces are entirely new– students all from different walks of life, in which I see so much of the kid I was in their shoes. The feeling I get being in this room again is the same as all those years ago, however this feeling is much deeper than my 15 year old self could’ve imagined. By not only participating in the process but also imparting my teaching into these students has truly demonstrated to me the necessity of theatre– it is meant to bring us together, to provide a place of sanctuary and creativity to those who need it, to let go of the monotony in our lives and just for a moment, rediscover our imagination and emotions as a collective. I am very grateful for my experience at ECTC this summer, thank you for bringing a new layer to the world I have loved for so long.

Maya (seen center) as the assistant director of Something Rotten Jr.