I was raised in a fairly traditional Jewish background. No, I am not Orthodox or even Conservative but my family has always emphasized the importance of tradition and religion; especially with Jews. My mother was raised Kosher Conservative, my Father not so much. My Grandmother stuck to all the radical Jewish beliefs and maintained all of the stereotypes of being frugal and overfeeding us. We went to temple, did Shabbat, knew prayers, etc. but something that was not overly enforced in my home was the presence of god. I myself, do not believe in God. I have spent hours of discussion with my Rabbi, did some soul searching, looked for the "proof" and have still found myself back to where I started: I do not believe in a higher being. Since I was a child, I was faced with many hardships, ones you barely see in the movies. My overcoming of these hardships some may only describe as "miraculous" but I just saw them as normal. I was raised Jewish but I was also raised by a warrior. Someone who knew the difficulties we faced would not get the best of us no matter what. I believe that everything that I can control for myself, I give ME credit for, and if I blame the bad things on God, that is not fair. I do not want to believe in something I only view as bad. I have in fact tried to believe in something good. A good thing that is always good to me even if I don't think it is at first glance.
The good things that accompany religion and the belief of a higher power are ones I do acknowledge and in fact respect. These ideas make up the powerful message that supports the basis of the power behind faith:
Community: When you come together on a given holiday, or read a similar scripture, by simply identifying as a given ethnic group becomes a way to provide comfort and unification; which we all thrive when exposed to. You are immediately connected by an uncontrolled aspect and it gives you motivation to protect that bond and to work together to ultimately live as one.
Sense of hope/optimism: The idea of having a place to go (I guess both on earth and after that) with an explanation for everything is a very comforting ideal. When you step into temple or church you are immediately surrounded with love and purpose. You are taught the teachings of your ancestors and are made to know that you are there for a reason. That sense of hope is unifying like the communal aspects.
Sense of relief/purpose: Most people go to church or temple or wherever they practice and that gives them space to de-stress, to have purpose, to be relieved from all of the questionable thoughts that overwhelm us on a daily basis. They go and they immediately have the comfort of knowing that in this space and by being apart of this way of life is a way to find purpose without effort. That tradition is irreplaceable.
As you can see, I have a huge amount of respect for those who dedicate themselves daily to being apart of this communal benefaction system: organized religion and belief in a higher power. However, with my experience with religion, I do not find these positives. I do not benefit like others. But, if I had to think of one thing, one concept, one place that gave me these very vital qualities for a happy life, I have found my own.
Community: Stepping foot into a theatre company, a district, a park district, you are overwhelmed by your unifying factor that is this art that you commit yourself to. Even if you are the newbie, everyone knows that you are there and you are the with same discipline, commitment and passion needed to move forward together. Ensemble is a word that is held very high in theatre because we are a team sport. It is competitive always (like different churches) but at the end of the day we all want the same prosperity. We are one.
Sense of hope/optimism: To be able to become another human, or hey even to become a tree, theatre lets you be anything you want. When I am in rehearsal or on the stage, I am transformed into the impossible world that I never see. I feel good, I feel big and powerful, I see things that are bright and even if it is only for one act, I feel that everything will be okay.
Sense of relief/purpose: Consistent with community and with religion, being surrounded by love, distraction, work and purpose. You are there because you either were chosen to be there or you chose to be there. You are meant to be there. You are accepted, you are special. It is said that in a cast in a given show, you will never be with that exact group in that exact space ever again and that is so special. You can escape to this support and forever be apart of something.
I do not believe in the power of a higher being, but I do believe in the power of theatre. When you think about the meaning or the presence of god, you may think of hope. Or safety. It gives you comfort, explanation, and...hope. When I went to temple, I watched people feel the love of community, the discipline to devoutness, the push for attendance both in synagogue and out. You learned, you practiced, you performed. I never got that kind of reward from the idea of religion, but I did get that from theatre. Belief is not what they tell you, but what you choose to believe. When I stepped into a rehearsal space, I found the love. I found the times of doubt, rejection of hardships and exhaustion, but I knew I needed to attend to get the full effect. I found community in which people supported me and related to me and we were our own ethnic connection. People refer to a theater as a temple; the building itself to be kept in pristine condition kind of like a holy building, with respect. But you see, I see theatre as my actual temple. It gives me hope and safety and kindness and love; it gives me exactly what someone who is spiritual gets.
  When I am exposed to the power of theatre, I am overwhelmed by the depths of its miracles. You see, in theatre, anything is possible. A woman can have a magical potion that cures ailments while she says silly, made up words and walks on the ceiling all while flying out on her umbrella. Or a woman who is Bipolar-Depressive goes through her journey to find herself while seeing the effects on the "normal" members of her family. There is no end and no limits to the expression of what is possible.
            Now think about that. A place where you can step into someone else's shoes, you can see another world and even if you die in the end, you have made a difference. The show always goes on, and so does the story and its impact to the audience. You are automatically essential and strong and vital to the art which people pay to see. You change someone whether you like it or not.
            Not only do you have the ability to be someone else, you have the right to be yourself. Your acting style is unique, your character is the only one you make it to be. No one else can do what you do in this moment, with this person. No one is exactly you and although this is true everywhere, it is the reason you are in a given production. There is only one of you and the character you create and you are free to make that whatever you like.
I do not believe in the power of a higher being but, I do believe in the power of theatre; and I believe that power lets me believe in myself.