Right before intermission
I was standing down near the front of the house
Two sisters, maybe 10 years between them, the younger one clutching the older one
The younger one grinning from ear to ear
Breathless with joy at what was transpiring on stage

During intermission
A lovely couple from Baltimore
Celebrating the husband’s birthday with a week away in NYC,
Kid free and seeing as much theatre as they could cram into 5 days

Toward the end of the show
I was standing in the back of the house
Two more sisters in the back row
Older than the first pair
One of them had those giant headphones over her ears
At random intervals she would raise her hands up in the air like she was on a rollercoaster
Her sister would join her, smiling
The eyes of the first sister set intently on the stage
Taking in every single detail

And then during walkout
Two young friends, barely 20
Giddy with joy
“We’ve been saving to see our first Broadway show!”
It was everything they’d hoped and more
Their genuine delight at being handed a “My First Broadway Show” sticker

This is why we do theatre
It’s not about the union contracts or the insanity of auditions or the constant hustle
It’s the communion of joy
Of heartbreak
Of loss and longing
And starting again
It's the telling of stories
And seeing our selves
Real, imagined, fantastical
Before our very eyes.