Asking about your lifework is like asking why you exist or why you were born. Sometimes you don’t know, sometimes you have a very specific plan, and sometimes you have an idea but the journey there is a little foggy. I know what I want to do with my life, so maybe I have a cop out. My answer to ‘what is my lifework’ is as follows:
My lifework is never finished- I want to continue to hone my skills and improve. Theatre is constantly evolving and changing so even if you’ve “learned everything” give it a year and the technology has evolved and there’s more to learn and more to try. The best actors and technicians are learning new things until the day they retire.
My career will hopefully bring me all over the place, I want to act and perform. I want to build sets. I want to stage manage, maybe even design! I want to run a theatre and get to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of performers and technicians. Theatre is my passion and my central focus in life. I want to get the most out of my career in theatre and take everything I learn and form it into beautiful, ever-changing art forms.
My hopes and dreams are, as most performers are, is to perform on broadway. Large theatre, large name, everyone knows “Broadway” when you say it. I would love to perform in a Broadway show, and when I do I’ll break into song. Other dreams that are smaller are things like going on tour or originating a role in a play or musical. While you’re never too old for theatre, when my body decides I need to stop I want to be able to run a theatre or continue working in theatre as long as I can.
In conclusion, my career is designed to take me everywhere through the realm of theatre and my lifework is to continue learning and honing my craft while pursuing my dreams and passions in theatre.