How does one balance life? That has been the thought circling my mind this week.
 

When you go through a good portion of your life feeling like you don’t have options, and that free time is something that is not deserved, it is easy to go into “bad habits”.
 

Running was my way to escape—and I did escape. My running continues, but I found I needed something more.

After some time, once the dust had settled, I finally made the plunge to get back into musical theatre. I had the honour of being one of my childhood heroes: Miss Stacy in The Community Players' production of Anne of Green Gables.
 

Must, like, I was to do one 5km run and be done with it; the plan was one community theatre show and then to be done…
 

I was in Anne of Green Gables, followed by Our Town - then directing Matilda, stage managing A Christmas Carol (Mortimer), and currently production managing and getting back into playing piano for Into the Woods.
 

Then of course, maintaining relationships (Aidan, family, friends), work, running, freelance projects, you know… life!

Maintaining relationships GOODISH
Work CHECK
Running WHAT RUNNING?
Freelance projects CHECK
 

So after giving up theatre for so long, how do you keep it up with everything else in life? Is it just time to take a break? Is there a way to convince one’s mind that this break is for a FAR shorter break than the last time? (Mind you, the last break was for over 12 years, so any break is shorter in the long run).
 

I never knew how much theatre would change my life. We all have that IT show - for me, it was Wicked. My high school music teachers encouraged me to go see it, with the music department, to go see it when it was first in time in 2005.
 

I laughed - I cried - and when the movie came out, I laughed and cried in all the same parts.
 

It’s a musical that I go back to time and time again - it’s one that I often belt out in my car. It’s one that helped me get through that break, especially Glinda’s song “I Couldn’t Be Happier”. To act like things are all good and going the way that you had planned them to go, when they’re not, is gut wrenching and exhausting.
 

So to have theatre back in my life, and acting like I am happy to have this break from it, honestly sucks.
 

The break is needed - focus needs to shift - balance needs to come back… but with so many shows coming up in the fall, that I have wanted to be in, is there a way to do it all? Or will finally doing everything I have ever wished to do for myself be what breaks me at this time in life?