Find Your Lighted Stage
How stepping out of his comfort zone lead to one senior’s major discovery
By Chris Hassay '17
The perfect blackness of our backstage was oddly comfortable for me. But in a few seconds, I knew I would have to step out into the bright lights of Moravian University’s Arena Theater and become uncomfortable. The funny thing is, I was looking forward to it. When I emerged and the lights blinded my eyes, the character I developed took the place of my inner monologue. I was a wholly new person—at least until my scene was over. Leaving the stage, there was only one thing I could ask myself: how on Earth did I get here?
I have always been a passive observer of theater, and I expected to continue enjoying shows from a comfortable seat in the audience forever. The first show I saw on campus was Proof, the story of an aging mathematician’s struggle for sanity and his daughter’s discovery amidst tragedy. Sitting in the dark underground of the arena theater, I had never been so close to the actors in so many ways.
In the fall semester of my sophomore year I took ‘Public Speaking’ with Christopher Shorr, Moravian University’s Theater Director. The class was fantastic, full of practical tips and advice that made the mini-performance of speech-giving that much more tolerable. Once the class was over, I followed Shorr to his Art of the Theater course, and I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding, personally challenging, and enlightening experiences of my career as a student.
Two years later, with stage lights beating down on me, I began to sweat. With two trenchcoats and a pair of fishing waders, my Inspector Hound costume was comically hot. When I uttered my first words through the megaphone (another wacky addition to my character’s wardrobe), I felt the exhilaration that I’d only heard described by veteran members of the theater company. The light no longer seemed so bright, or hot, or anything for that matter. I was completely focused on performing alongside my newfound friends. It didn’t hurt that the audience seemed to be having as good a time as I was, either.
In true Moravian fashion, the theater company is close-knit, passionate and accepting. Its members are constantly joking with one another and thinking of ways to improve their performances. When they first recruited me I was a little skeptical, but their graciousness and excitement was infectious. In fact, it inspired me to stay involved.
As a senior entering his final year, performing in The Real Inspector Hound is one of my favorite moments at Moravian University. Not only did I work up the courage to do something scary, but I also discovered something new about myself along the way. The liberal arts is built upon these experiences, and these are the kinds of opportunities that we as Hounds are lucky to be afforded.
One of the most rewarding things that anyone can do in their lives is try something new. Just to do something for the sake of doing it. Whether it is something that you have been interested in but just haven’t explored, or something that you never thought you could do or imagined yourself doing, simply going out and basking in the light of the opportunity is one of the most transformative, enriching, and energizing experience anyone can truly experience. Use your time here wisely, explore everything you possibly can, try everything at least once. No matter what you do, find your lighted stage, and have the courage to step out onto it.