I recently attended the show Harmony, a musical playing at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. I went to this engaging show about a singing group in pre-WW II Germany alone and had a great date with myself. With no partner occupying the next seat, I had the chance to commune with my thoughts and feelings and check in with my experiences during the production. I felt totally in the moment and fully present with the unfolding love stories, Nazi encroachment and dicey group dynamics. As I left the theater and transitioned to the outside world I actually found the audience chatter distracting.
I recommend the show to my friend Sean and he LOVED the play. In fact, he texted me about it during intermission and right after he left the theater to compare notes. Sean said that his introverted partner doesn’t like to talk out his reactions and that is frustrating for him. Why? Because Sean is an extrovert and he needs to express himself and “text it out” to make sense of the experience.
I am sure I would enjoy going to a play with Sean. It can be wonderfully enriching to connect with others who can bring new light to the experience. However, there are times that absolutely nothing beats being alone.