Dear fellow performer,

This was hard - very, very, very hard. This changed my life. After this semester, I will be a Theatre minor - not a major. I will most likely dedicate my life to social service and working with clients of domestic violence. There were many things that made me realize that I was not made to be a performer.

I want to let you know that theatre is a gift. The ability to perform is a gift. You are blessed and you have the ability to change the world. Theatre is significant in society, because it reflects how the world is thinking in two acts. The ability to touch someone through singing, and to make a tear come out, is life changing. You are able to reach into someone and make them feel things that biology, engineering, business, or any technical field doesn't do. I believe that theatre and the arts as a whole can heal a group of people during troubling times. During 9/11, SNL was able to create scripts and improv to make people laugh through one of the most devastating events this nation has seen.

Theatre has helped me so much. Being able to play someone else and to get away from the stress that is life is a wonderful feeling. The feeling of playing, laughing, and happiness is so relevant and important to maintain in theatre. Theatre makes you think, engage, learn, and it changes you for the better. I will always love theatre, and I respect the craft so much.

What happened to me was that I simply fell in love with another career path. This is okay! I am proud to be a sociology major and to empower people in social work. I am excited to follow this, go to grad school, and to help out the community. I am beyond excited, motivated, driven, and ready to take on the social work field.

Thank you to my Musical Theatre class from high school. You guys were the start of making me believe in myself. Through the craft of theatre and singing, you all inspired me and made me want to work hard. Thank you guys.

Thank you, to my directors and teachers in theatre arts. You guys are the inspiration to everything I do currently. I am honored you saw my craft, and you saw talent and believed in me. There were times when I messed up rehearsal, missed a few lines, and sang a wrong note - you guys believed in me. My current professors, you also saw my potential, but also the things I needed to work on in myself. Thank you.

I want to say thank you to my fellow theatre majors at VT. Especially my friends and peers from Foundations and IPI - you all are so talented. You supported me at my worst, and encouraged me at my best. I love you guys. Always. Thank you for being my first family and friends when I came to VT as a scared transfer student.

Just because you decided to stop performing, you are not a loser or a low life. You are not weak. You decided to make a change and follow another dream. This is life. I know that theatre is my passion and always will be, but it is not my career.

I love you, Theatre. Thank you for making me into the strong and driven woman I am today. Thank you for allowing me to express emotions, and for being an outlet for me.

Sincerely,

A former performer (after this semester).