The stage lights glared down on Liam Fagal as he tried to read his audience. His eyes nervously shifted from the other actors to the crowd. 

“If I said something funny, did they laugh?” Fagal said. “If they don’t, I make a point to check in on my line delivery.” 

Fagal was a natural on stage at his community theatre, his smile and happiness were contagious, by the end of the show, the whole audience was smiling.

 Theatre used to intimidate Fagal. What the few glamorous Broadway stars see as a beautiful and expressive art form, almost everyone else sees it as a horrifying performance with a few dozen people just waiting for someone’s voice crack. For most of his life, Fagal was unfamiliar with the theatre culture and had no interest in the local productions.

“I didn’t like the idea of getting up in front of people and being something that could be weird or ridiculous” Fagal said.  “I didn’t want to unintentionally offend someone, I didn’t want to put myself out there.” 

But at age 12, Fagal found his friends constantly encouraging him to join theatre, with a promise that he wouldn’t regret it. He didn’t. By the end of his first performance, he was hooked on the thrill of being someone completely different for an hour.

 “With my first character, our only similarity was age,” Fagal said. “Me and my character definitely had different experiences and ended up in different places, I mean, he was an orphan in the 1880’s and I’m not that, but I just tried to imagine how he would feel.”

Every performance and play seemed to fly by, each one bringing their own story and memories. 

“Theatre has given me a cool group of friends,” Fagal said. “We all share a common interest.”

The small black box theatre became a family that grew stronger with each new time period and costume change.  

“When you’re up there, you’re someone else,” Fagal said. “You’re able to let go of what’s going on with your personal self and able to focus on the character.”

“If there’s a role that has taught the most about myself it would be Lefou from Beauty and the Beast” Fagal said. “Lefou is completely different from myself. For one, he’s insane and crazy all the time, and I’m not that energized usually. Playing Lefou forced me to step out of my comfort zone. It was challenging but ended up being my favorite part I’ve played so far.”

 Before joining theatre, Fagal was unsure of his voice.

 “People should know that I’m very vocal with my opinion,” Fagal said. “I’m vocal with what I’m thinking and that sometimes can turn some people away from me.” 

Fagal has found his experiences with theatre have made him more confident in his own voice. 

“I think I’ve definitely found my voice,” Fagal said. “It’s given me opportunities to meet amazing people, and feel more comfortable with who I am.”