Why do I do theatre? For me the answer to this question was quite easy; because I can’t think what life would be like not doing it. Well, I’m pretty sure it would be a lot less stressful but also a lot less eventful.
I started doing theatre when I was c. 8-years-old at Anjalankosken teatteri. My first role ever was Doc in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Ever since then, every year of my life, I have been involved in some sort of a production or doing something theatrical. So it is a way of life, and has been ever since I can remember.
What keeps me going is the diversity of this hobby. During my little over 20 years of theatre, I have done almost everything there is to do in a production, from writing, directing and producing to sets, hair, make-up, costumes as well as, obviously, acting. No production is the same; there are always new lines to memorise, new characters to build from scratch and new challenges that you need to find a solution to together, as a group. The challenges can range from making it look like a mirror shatters on stage to creating a battle scene on stage without actually killing someone, especially when some of the people on stage (including me) were kids.
And even though it is hard work, it is very rewarding. When you put yourself out there and the end result is people being entertained, it does feel like effort well spent. And, as I have always liked being the centre of attention, the feeling you get when you hear the applauds is priceless 🙂
Pauliina Munukka was not very athletic as a child, so she ended up doing theatre in stead. And is very happy about this. She’s been a member of Thespians Anonymous since 2005. After curtain calls, she thinks the best feeling in the world is to have a purring cat sitting on her lap.
This entry is the fourth in a series of blog posts entitled “Why do I do Theatre?”. In the series, members of Thespians Anonymous write about the reasons behind them keeping up with a hobby that requires so much time and effort as theatre does.