Once upon a time, there was a group of Shakespearean actors. They were the best stage actors in all of England! People would come from all over the country to watch them perform in Shakespeare’s Globe. Every night, royalty would praise their skill, women would faint when they took to the stage, and men would dream of becoming as great as these nonpariel stars. They were admired because of their incredible abilities on stage, but unfortunately when they stepped off of the stage, they continued to play-act, merely taking on different characters. Thomas Smith, who played Prince Hamlet, acted like he was a prince off-stage as well. Sir Henry Howard, who was knighted for his superb acting in the roles of various villains, tried to pretend he was tough and mean in real life also. Phebe de Mornay was very shy and reserved, because she was unconfident in herself and wasn't used to being noticed before.
All the Shakespearean actors were friends and hung out together, but never really had any fun because they were all trying to act, instead of being themselves. However, one day they decided to go to the festival together, and had fun for the first time in a while, because they forgot about acting and were just themselves. At the end, Phebe de Mornay said, “It’s more fun when the world’s not a stage, and when we aren’t being mere players! Let’s just be ourselves from now on!” And everyone agreed.
Acting has it's place – on a stage! However, people like to act offstage as well. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of fun to make people abandon their masks and be genuine. A couple of weeks ago I went to Ottawa to participate in Encounters With Canada. There were eighty-four youth from every region and culture of Canada, and we all stayed in one residence together. For a week, we ate, learned, toured, mingled, and partied together. It was really awkward the first day when everyone was meeting each other, but soon everyone became friends and you could really just be yourself there. Some people who said they were shy back home were really outgoing and popular there. Everyone was friendly and accepting. Some people said they didn’t want to leave because back home everyone was just acting and you weren’t free to be yourself.
We have to relax and not worry about what people will think about us, instead of acting and making the world a stage. That’s how to have fun and live life to the fullest!
