What is a Legacy?

2020 has brought a lot of uncertainty. Theatre teachers and professionals have experienced that as much as anyone. How do you perform theatre or ballet during a pandemic? How can you prove this art is essential, when you don’t truly know if another show is around the corner?

What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.

We in the theatre community love performance arts for so many reasons. The passion, the drama, the raw emotion. And as we find ourselves in the middle of an epic drama being written, we know many young eyes and voices who are watching...waiting...needing someone to look to for assurance and direction.

A colleague recently told us a story about his eight year old son Ryan. Ryan came home from school one day and gave his dad a big hug. Then he paused and said “you know what dad? You’ve got a light inside of you too. Don’t forget to encourage people. Because some people are having a bad day and really need encouragement."

That’s a glimpse of a legacy at work. The things that make us pause and reflect on what truly matters.

Theatre will go on. But what if we lived every day like this may be our last show? What kind of legacy do you want to leave with your 2020 students? Sure, there could be a great socially distanced performance. But think beyond that, about the community you’re building through this unique time together. Think how your time with your students can help overcome cliques and insecurity and bullying. Think how you could set a stage that contrasts the world around us that is so divided and afraid of one another. Wouldn’t that stand out? Wouldn’t that be living your life in a way that matters?

Let’s make the absolute most out of the rest of 2020. Make your mark. Remember who you are. Leave your legacy.