Author’s Note: I’m sharing my experience to encourage more conversations about accessibility and inclusion in theatre. Every person’s health journey is different, and this article reflects my own experiences rather than medical advice.

---

If you’ve spent any time in theatre, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “The show must go on.” It’s a sentiment I understand well. Theatre has been a constant throughout my life, whether I’m stage managing, designing marketing campaigns, or supporting productions behind the scenes. It’s where I’ve built friendships, developed my career, and even met my husband. It’s also something I’ve had to learn to navigate while living with chronic illness.

The Invisible Work Behind the Curtain

Chronic illness theatre conversations are becoming more common as artists, volunteers, and production teams work to create more accessible and sustainable rehearsal environments. One of the challenges of living with a chronic illness is that many conditions are invisible.

There were times I worried that asking for help would make me seem less dependable. Local theatre relies on volunteers, and nobody wants to be the person who feels like they’re making things harder for everyone else. But I’ve learned something important: asking for support doesn’t make you less committed to the production.

Rethinking “The Show Must Go On”

I’ve been guilty of telling myself to just get through one more rehearsal or one more performance. Sometimes that worked. Other times, it meant paying for it physically afterward. This is when “busy bragging” would come into play, and it sounded much cooler than it actually was. Here are some examples:

1. I was stage managing two productions back-to-back while my husband and I were moving into our new home.

2. I stage managed a production just three months before our wedding.

3. I stage managed a production while simultaneously serving on the theatre’s board of directors and creating the marketing campaign for that same show.

Looking back, none of those commitments were bad on their own—but together, they stretched me beyond what my body could (and should) realistically handle.

Those experiences taught me two important lessons.

1. I need to build recovery time between stage management contracts. Theatre will always be there, but if I don’t give myself time to recharge, I can’t bring my best to the next production.
2. Some life events deserve my full attention. Moving, planning a wedding, recovering from surgery, or navigating other major milestones are already demanding enough. Adding a production on top of them may be possible, but I’ve learned that “possible” isn’t always the same as “healthy.”

Now, before I say yes to a show, I don’t just look at the rehearsal schedule—I look at everything else happening in my life, too. I also require stage management gigs to get a stipend, so I’m compensated for my work. Setting those boundaries hasn’t made me any less passionate about theatre. If anything, it’s helped ensure I’ll be able to keep doing what I love for years to come.

The Best Productions Are Built on Teamwork

One of the biggest lessons theatre has taught me is that no production succeeds because of one person. That lesson applies to accessibility, too.

Supporting theatre and chronic illness doesn’t always require major changes. Sometimes it’s simply providing a chair backstage, sharing rehearsal materials digitally, building reasonable breaks into long rehearsals, or understanding when someone has a medical appointment they can’t reschedule. For production teams, it can be as simple as asking, “Is there anything you need to be successful in this role?” That question creates space for people to advocate for themselves without feeling like they’re asking for special treatment.

One recent example involved a show I stage managed moving into the theatre. I disclosed ahead of time that paint is a migraine trigger for me, and I can’t be around it for long periods of time. I asked that I could be excused from load in/tech day when the set was being painted. Fortunately, the set was painted ahead of time before load-in and I didn’t have to worry about paint fumes triggering a migraine.

Making Space for Everyone

Theatre Is Better When Everyone Can Participate

The show may go on, but the people who make it possible matter just as much. When we create theatre communities rooted in flexibility, empathy, and collaboration, we make room for more artists to keep sharing their talents—without sacrificing their health to do it.

Last Updated on: August 5, 2026