Backstage [discontinued version]

Chapter 6

One thing I loved about theatres was that you got the bone-rattling experience of a concert without the sweaty bodies and disorganization. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, located some distance from the edge of Lake Ontario, was a modern theatre designed for live performances of any kind: acting, presentations, banquets—but mostly, music.

We snagged the last couple of seats near the front before the theatre filled in with people and noise. Nora proposed leaving our jackets on our seats to take a break outside, but I declined. The lobby would be just as hectic for me. Instead, I pulled on my noise-cancelling headphones and reverted to text messaging.

Nora asked about my headphones, and I explained it to her. I dreaded the likely follow-up interrogation: If I was Autistic, why didn't loud concerts bother me? Why did I need to have a routine sometimes but not all the time? Couldn't I just get used to certain things more?

But she didn't. She respected my fluctuating boundaries, and that was what I loved about her.

TAI: Did you know that theatres were designed not only to maximize the soundwaves coming from the stage, but also cancel background noise and echoes? Everything, even the seat arrangement, was designed with physics in mind. Like, most people think the seats are stacked in cake-tier style to give everyone a clear view of the stage. But it's also because different sound waves bounce off corrugated surfaces in a way that amplifies the sound coming from the stage and cancels out low-frequency soundwaves. Like the wind or people chatting a few rows away.

TAI: And then there's the rest of the theatre you have to factor in, because it's not just the auditorium. You have to design the rooms for backstage, exits and entrances. I wish there was a day where you could explore the whole theatre, top to bottom, without worrying about being asked what you're doing.

NORA: You studied theatre architecture in uni? I thought it was landscape?

TAI: I did study landscape.

TAI: The program was limited. Back then I liked geography more. I still do. But recently my mind has been straying more into the musical category.

NORA: You always drift closer to your true passions, I suppose. Still, you're very knowledgeable. I swear you could have done a double major.

TAI: Impossible. Uni sucked up my time like a vampire! I just learn about stuff I like. Now I feel all that time has been wasted.

NORA: I know that feeling. I curse my childhood for robbing the things I could have had. But running away has taught me that you still have the rest of your life to carve your dream.

NORA: Oh hey, Ebhoni's performing tonight!

I unfolded the crinkled playbill in my lap, excited to recognize some of the names. We spent hours together dissecting what made their songs stand out from the crowd. But a fair number of names sounded new, like a singer named DeFye.

Artist Spotlight: DeFye

After forty years of watching on the sidelines, DeFye decided to launch her musical career. "Everyone has a dream but only some chase it in the first place. As a trans woman from Trinidad, I want young people to see themselves reflected on the stage. Why hide when you can do so much more?"

Her social media handle only had one post: the cover of her Extended Playlist. The multicoloured letters and pastel aesthetic reminded me of spring.

Like someone blowing out a candle, the overhead lights dimmed, leaving the worn wooden stage illuminated. I removed my headphones.

The host walked onstage. "Welcome to the Hidden Stars event tonight. I, along with the rest of the artists waiting backstage, thank you for coming and showing your support. Some musicians are still commuting from other parts of the Greater Toronto Area. There's some inclement weather coming from the west, but as you know, the show must go on!"