It’s not well known that theatre can be a hazardous profession. I use the word “profession” in the broadest sense, as it rarely results in monetary compensation. but I will refer to the time I spend on stage as a profession in order to stand in solidarity with my fellow actors who trod the boards and collect a paycheck. Hazards come in all forms. Physical, such as the disc in my lower back that was pushed out of position from catching a dancer incorrectly or the bump on the head from a piece of falling scenery I was helping to strike. The heart is also at risk. Show-mances are an everpresent danger and, given the volatile nature of actors, of either gender, are rarely advised. And the less said about my personal experience on that the better. There is a third hazard, one I never saw coming: discovering an unpleasant truth about the character you’ve grown to know and love.
