First and foremost, I want to thank each and every person that came out and watched The Reality Show. Not only did your support motivate us, it reinforced one of the most crucial messages of the show: making the world a family. The Reality Show is a production with enormous ambitions, but the overwhelming attendance proved that NYU Shanghai is taking the next step to make the world a better place. Never be afraid to call the health and wellness hotline (021-2059-9999) if you need help and don’t know where to turn.Last Friday, Sept.11, the entire Reality Show cast arrived at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall around 11:30 AM (30 minutes late as college students typically are). After unloading all the equipment and other materials, staff members led us to our dressing room, which was excellently furnished. Shortly after, we finally got to see the stage. It was magnificent. And terrifying. What if I mess up? What if I forget my lines? This was the real deal, and everyone would be watching.The rest of the time before the performance we spaced out our numbers and spiked any places where a song or skit was a little tricky. We also had to go through a lengthy process of setting up our microphones, which involved testing everyone’s sound levels for almost an hour. It was all very much needed; I have never been in a performance in which there were absolutely no problems with the microphones-- whether it’s feedback or batteries dying, something always goes wrong. After the soundcheck, spacing, and a quick dinner, we returned to our dressing room and did all we could do; we waited. We waited for what seemed like an eternity as John Sexton told his best stories to the class of 2019-- for the last time as the president of NYU. Then we got the 10-minute call. Nerves were high. This was the first time for many of us to perform on a stage, let alone in front of hundreds of people. We took some (very) deep breaths, sang a warm-up piece, and then opened the door to the stage. As for the performance, I can’t tell you much. I really don’t use my brain during a performance, and I don’t even dare to consider what went wrong or well. Hopefully you saw it, so you know better than me. Mistakes were made. Microphones messed up. But we had fun, and the last number was the only time I felt relaxed -- it was also everyone’s favorite piece. I can tell you that afterwards I, as well as the rest of the cast, was ecstatic. This show was the culmination of a summer’s worth of writing, discussion, and practice, and we were damn proud. I always take a moment during the bows to take everything and everyone in. School may seem daunting and stressful, but there’s so much more to life. Lastly, I encourage every freshman to audition to be in the next year’s Reality Show cast. I vividly remember my sides hurting after seeing Nicholas Sanchez play the Sleep Fairy last year, and it’s almost unreal that I got to reprise that role. I don’t participate in many clubs or activities here at NYU Shanghai, but after seeing last year’s show, I immediately knew that it was something I wanted to do. The cast consists of students from all majors, ranging from the humanities to neuroscience, but we got to experience a professional arts program even though there are no arts majors at NYU Shanghai. The Reality Show provides the perfect opportunity to step outside your comfort zone to sing, dance, and act, while changing the world, one song at a time. Follow your dreams! This article was written by Quinn McHale. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Ewa Oberska