“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts…”
- William Shakespeare

A week or so ago, my much better half, Donna and I went to the Village Theater in Issaquah to see Mel Brooks’ The Producers. This is one of our favorite theaters in the Puget Sound area. It’s relatively small, so far not as well know as it ought to be while being known enough to keep it (I hope) financially solvent.

While watching the show, I marveled at the design. Everything worked smoothly, flawlessly – at least from what I could see. The acoustics of the theater are excellent, too, and because of the way the seats are laid out, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.

How often do we look into our own lives as a theater designer or a producer, director or a performer? How much time do we spend thinking about our audiences, and how to give them a theater in which there’s not a bad seat in the house? How often do we think of our own lives in terms of stage craft? And what roles do we play? On our own stages, are we merely extras? Bit players? Are we type-cast actors looking for breakout opportunities, or are we really the star of the show. Do we sit on the sidelines or act the parts we were meant to play?

If you were to imagine a “life design theater,” what would it look like? What kinds of shows would you put on, and for whom? Would you mainly do comedy or drama? Action? Adventure? Or would you put on “thought performances” and explore the significances and meanings of things? Or would you relish mixing things up to keep those in your audience on their toes?

I see no wrong answers to these questions. I do see choices, including the primary choice?  Will your life mainly be one reaction after another after another, with no plan, no reason, no inspiration? Or will you consciously create your life design theater? And then recreate it again and again and again, keeping your mind and soul fresh and alive – and keeping your audience interested?

P.S. – I assert claim to the term “Life Design Theater.” I have also secured the domain name, LifeDesignTheater.com and may, at some point, deploy it as a new focus.