Why Broadway? I'm an Engineer!

Here I am, on a trip in Arlington, Virginia for no reason related to theater. I'm on a work trip and had the idea to start a blog about theater. But why? I am a 31 year old man. I am an engineer. I have two undergrad degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, a Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and about 10 years of experience in the military. So why am I interested in Broadway?? Why am I fascinated with theater as an art and form of expression when I've been raised in this science and engineering atmosphere?

I've probably seen more shows in recent times than the average person, and for some reason I just can't get enough. Even writing this now, I'm wondering... what's the big deal? Why am I interested in this? And, by the way... I am married and together, we have three kids. I'm probably not the person you would expect with this recent fascination. I'm sure more stories of my life will hopefully come through in this writing, but let's just stick to the idea of this blog for now.

To start, I am interested in theater for many reasons. I love the music, the magic that happens with a live performance, the lights and technical technique, the often social issues that come through in the acting and the story and so many other things. Particularly, I love the personal experience that each person in the audience receives and is part of; that by attending a musical or a play, you bring your own history into the interpretation and are moved by it differently than perhaps the person next to you. It provides such a different feeling than other art forms such as watching a film for example.

There are so many aspects that I'm looking forward to bringing into this and where we go with this will be an exciting adventure, something that explores this art form from a unique perspective as an engineer and hopefully brings interesting insights and outlooks into the spotlight. Hopefully, this isn't just for the theater nerds, although I can't say that I am one, that maybe these ideas that we develop will transcend other cross sections of people as well.

Here I am, an engineer on a business trip, thinking about theater, wondering why I'm so fascinated and looking forward to exploring this medium with you.