As the immortal bard reminds us:
“All the world’s a stage;
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;”
Although medical references are rife in Bill’s oeuvre, what he didn’t mention was anything about cancer staging. Well, as you like it Bill, as you like it.
Cancer is a stage in your life you don’t want to entertain.
It’s a stage you don’t want to walk onto.
If you are told you have Stage IV cancer then this is the biggest stage you’ll ever be on. This is what real stage fright feels like. Cancer is a real showstopper.
But the show has to go on too. What choice do we have?
There are no easy answers but Stage IV cancer requires Stage IV courage, Stage IV hope and Stage IV optimism. They make staging a comeback possible. The bigger the stage, the bigger the performance.
The Merchant of Menace himself might not have written about cancer but he has taught us that we act many parts.
That’s not to say that we have to act the part of the patient. Far from it. I’d actively discourage anyone to ‘be’ the patient and follow a script of passivity.
There is a part to play though and it’s a leading one and you choreograph your own fight scenes.
You cannot be an empty vessel and expect medical staff to tell you what to do. Sure, they play their part but ours is an active one, not submissive. This is our drama, we are at the centre of it and we have a voice so use the whole stage – get up, move around, jump up and down and be heard!
Stage IV is weird though. Sometimes it feels like we are on an empty stage and at other times the theatre feels full. Every day is different too, the plot isn’t clear and there are no stage directions. As the cancer actor, you are self-directing.
Late stage cancer is the most challenging role you will ever perform. But it is your language and attitude to it that will set the scene and how you ‘deal’ with it. We have to command the space, harness our vocal power and embrace the theatre.
Cancer becomes the art of living well and having stage presence. It’s about being larger than life. We have to be!
A Stage IV performance involves projecting confidence, energy, and authenticity while maintaining a strong connection with the world around you. It’s having a spirit in large doses.
A huge part of improving your stage presence is discovering your cancer identity or your cancer persona and this has to be a true reflection of your own personality.
A Stage IV performance has to be ‘up there’ and we have to be a hard act to follow.
For those of us who are incurable, our performance gets a standing ovation and we aim to leave a lasting impression long after the curtain falls.
The stage is ours. That will inevitably involve stage fright and I’ve had my fair share and still do. But it’s also about having the presence of mind to control the stage and not let the stage control you.
Remember, the stage is yours.