Last month, I got a chance to perform my solo show in Hartsville, SC. I had never been to Hartsville before and I was told that it is a very small town. I wasn’t sure what to expect visiting and performing in a small town. My husband and I arrived a day early to take advantage of the experience. I stayed in a boutique hotel that was within walking distance from restaurants, the theatre and local shops.
I was overwhelmed with all the Southern hospitality. Everywhere we went, someone stopped to talk to us for about 15 minutes. The conversation would always start with, “ You’re the couple from New York.” I was surprised to find my posters hanging in the local shops.
I enjoyed the conversations I shared with locals. They allowed me to get a clear sense of people from the area. Most of them have been living in Hartsville all their lives. All the restaurants close between 2 pm and 5 pm. My favorite restaurant was the Midnight Rooster; the decor was beautiful!
The next morning was my tech rehearsal. The Center Theater was built in 1936; it contains 867 seats, almost 200 of which are in the balcony. I felt so grateful to be able to perform at this historic
place!
On the day of my show, I took a moment to reflect on how much I’ve grown over the past couple of years. It’s so important to start with what you have and grow. I truly believe that God will see your vision and it will grow.
The night of the show, I had dinner with the faculty from the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics.
The next day, I took a tour of the school! The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics is a public, residential high school for students in grades 11 and 12. Most of the students were busy working on deadlines.
This year I took a leap of faith and committed to performing my play full time. Right before I perform, I feel this rush of fear because I'm getting ready to share my life with strangers. I never allow fear to stop me from telling my story. Each opportunity that I have to perform allows me to connect, grow and serve humanity. My hope is that people will continue the conversation about mental health after my show is over.
“We are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing – an actor, a writer – I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I’m going to do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun.”
Stephen Fry