On Sunday I went to the News-Journal Center at Daytona State
College to see Almost, Maine. It was my first time viewing a live performance.
As I was part of the audience, I’d like to share my experience as well as my
thoughts on the other members of the audience.
Parking at the News-Journal Center
I was unsure as to if I was at the right place. I guess I had been putting it
in my head that I would see a bunch of peers around my age and possibly other
Daytona State students. But I found
myself walking toward the front entrance in a large, and I mean surprisingly
large, group of elderly folk. As I entered the building I felt a bit
underdressed and out of place. An older gentleman in a suit greeted me and set
me in the right direction to get my ticket for the play. I asked myself while
waiting in line, “should I be wearing this t-shirt and jeans?” I heard a loud
burst of laughter. I looked over to what was a concession setup to see a group
of teenagers. They were wearing the same kind of clothes as me. I was relieved.
After presenting my college ID, I
followed the herd to an escalator. Where I was then yelled at. Apparently I was
supposed to hand my ticket to the two women at the bottom. It was a bit of a Seinfield
moment. I was handed a ticket, to walk 12 feet at most, just to hand them the
ticket I was just given. I thought I would at least have to get up the stairs
first and there would be someone with a little box to put ticket stubs in, like
at a movie. Anyway, after they took my ticket, and I said my apologies, I
continued toward the unfamiliar goal. I need to share this, even though it’s
not all that necessary, it was strangely one of my favorite parts. I made a pit
stop at the restroom before going into the actual theater. The bathroom was
looking SHARP! I was very impressed, and it made me feel further underdressed
for the occasion. Yes, I do sound crazy, but the bathroom was like a James Bond
restroom.
Leaving the restroom of my dreams,
I made my way into the seating area. A woman told me to pick any seat, that
they were open seats. I was about to find myself a dark little corner at the
top. But I saw a seat so close to the stage, it intrigued me, as I wondered how
it would feel watching people act in almost reaching distance from me. While
waiting for the show to start, I noted all sorts of things about my
surroundings. First it was the music and the lights. I was asking myself if the
music would be of relation to the mood of the play, or is this like the music
at the movie theater where the screen asks you a pop quiz about the names of
the band members and their star signs in a quiz, and it has nothing to do with
the X-Men movie that is about to come on. The lights I couldn’t figure out at
first. I had no idea what the play was about. And I see a little bench with
what looks like concrete which had been poured and dried out, under bluish-purple
lights. So I look in my hand, and I have a pamphlet. Maybe this has some
answers to what will be happening today. I open it up and read the names of the
characters. It didn’t help. I still had no clue what could possibly happen to
the bench and the purple lights when the show starts. Maybe the scenes can help
explain it to me? Another negative. The only thing the pamphlet did point out
that I could make some sense of was that my Dramatic Appreciation teacher is
the Director. I had a flashback of our lecture in class when Mr. Kershner had
said something along the line of Directors not being at their plays, but if
they are, you probably won’t see them. So that gave me a creepy vibe. Was my
teacher hidden among the faces in this dark room? I looked around and sure
enough, he was behind a glass window above the audience.
The lights dim and
it begins. I find out that the concrete was actually snow. I felt a little
stupid, but who’s to say the show couldn’t have started with 2 construction
workers on a bench in Maine? I had a really good time. I was very studious of
the people around me, and especially curious about the performers and how they
were doing such a good job at not making eye contact with me, as if nobody else
was there. It was fascinating, so many things about it. Knowing I was with an
audience that was a majority of older men and women, I was shocked and caught
off guard by how uncontrolled their laughter could be. One older man laughed so
hard I didn’t think he would recover his composure!
On a final topic,
I chose to sit on the side. I knew I would be viewing it differently than
someone sitting in a spot directly facing the stage, and that’s why I chose the
side. Sitting from the seat I chose let me observe the audience and the
performers in a unique way. Sitting on the side I could see all the other
members of the audience directly across from me. I could study their faces and
see them laugh. If I had sat facing the stage, it wouldn’t have been the same
to see the audience. Also, I had a side profile on most of the performance. For
example when East would speak with the broken heart girl, I was looking in the
same direction he was. I saw the back of his head, but at the same time, I
could see the other actor facing in my direction to give an answer or response.
It was a totally different viewpoint than if I had sat anywhere else.
After leaving, I
went to Flagler Beach to have dinner with my family. I was telling them all the
scenes I liked and how funny it was. I even told them about the old ladies that
yelled at me and how pimp the bathrooms are. I had a great experience and I look
forward to seeing many more performances in the future!
