Working in the New York theatre, I end up traveling a lot and meeting a lot of new people. Some of them are great; some of them are extremely difficult to get along with. But no matter what, it always seems like something happens to renew my faith in the human spirit, and what I saw just yesterday is one of my all-time favorites.

Last night was our closing performance of My Fair Lady. I ran a spotlight for the show, so I always heard whatever discussion was going on over our headsets during the performance. I heard that our Henry Higgins was planning to quiet the audience after the curtain call, make a brief speech, and send out a plea for donations to help the victims of the tragedy in southern Asia.

This was something I'd never seen done before, and I wondered what the reaction would be. After all, they'd just paid for their tickets, and theatrical performances are not exactly inexpensive. Would they be receptive or resentful?

When the time came, the actor's plea was simple and tasteful. He explained that anything anyone could give would be welcome and that it would all be sent directly to UNICEF.

"Some of my colleagues," he said, "Are stationed by the door. Whatever you can spare would be most appreciated. Thank you."

I went straight over to the exit and found an out-the-way corner where I could watch. The boys in the chorus were lined up in the doorway, still in costume, holding out their hats. The response was amazing. I tried not to cry as I watched men and women drop in tens and twenties. Little children dug into their pockets to produce crumpled dollar bills or even just a couple of pennies; often every member of a family would give his or her own contribution.

One man apologized for not having cash on him and said he would sent a check directly to UNICEF the moment he got home. I saw one of our interns drop in a twenty dollar bill, and I knew that it was more than she made in an entire day. The boys had to empty their hats several times, and finally, the props master ran upstairs to get some baskets.

When the audience had departed, I went back to work, and twenty minutes later, our stage manager came in to tell us the total. I knew it would be a lot, but we were all surprised when she said we'd raised over a thousand dollars in fifteen minutes.

People are good.

~ The Author is Emily Provance in New York City ~ 

 All original artwork, text, and layout are Copyright © 1999 by 52Best, Inc. 
  The name 52Best, the 52Best logo, and the name "Angel Star" are marks of 52Best, Inc.