I met Terrence in the Fall of 2007. I was the Deck Stage Manager and one of the two-person team that built the Peter Pan set. He came up and introduced himself as the Head of Flight - Stunt Coordinator for the production and “I’m also in the show as a pirate and JSYK (just so you know), I get wounded a lot, even killed a couple of times, so every time I go back on stage, I’ll need more and more bandages, perhaps even a sling? Oh and one more thing, you’re going to have to drag my dead weight off into the wings..”. My response: “Wait, what..??”.
Terrence Williams is an international touring Producer for The Works Entertainment Group. Terrence has helmed circus, magic and musical tours throughout North America, Asia, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Various projects include The Illusionists, Circus 1903, and The Unbelievables. Terrence is also the developer behind Callboard & Co., the email-based scheduling system for stage and production management, and the founder of NINJA, an upcoming apparel brand for those who work in the dark. By entertainment industry standards, his resume is impressive and diverse, but I love the fact that I knew him as an actor and director before he moved onto bigger and better projects.
He’s the kind of man who makes things happen, period, and at this time during COVID-19 he’s done exactly that. Just by answering a friend’s Facebook post, he was thrust into the medical industry, contacting suppliers around the world for nasal swabs and re-agent materials that could be sent to the U.S. and distributed throughout the nation. He went from being one man operation into a five-person team working around the clock to get medical supplies where they’re needed most. His client list went from nothing to almost 200 within weeks.
The funny thing about theater people is that we know how to get things done. We know how to hustle, meet hard deadlines and solve problems because failure is never an option. The ability to adjust to any situation that arises is what theater technicians, stage managers, production managers and producers know how to handle. A quick mind reset is all it takes and then we’re off to do what needs to be done. What he and his team have done hasn’t been easy, but the pandemic, which shutdown the entertainment industry, has made this mindset change a necessary one.
The coronavirus outbreak has taken a lot of us by surprise. Some people have described it as an episode of Black Mirror that they want to turn off, while others have said that they feel like the entire world is upside down. Terrence and his team shows us that not only can we survive, but thrive, given the right impetus. The added benefit of helping others is that it is good for our own mental health. It can help reduce stress and improve your emotional wellbeing. In short, doing good does you good. If we can try and see this as a different period of time in our life, and not necessarily a bad one, even though you didn’t choose it, there are still lots of things that we can do for other people to inspire productivity in unforeseen times.
Terrence and his team deserve a well earned round of applause. He doesn’t see himself or his team as heroes, but rather a cog in the wheel of life that has to keep turning no matter what. He took a bad situation, a terrible situation and decided to do something about it. I encourage you to change your mindset and seek out ways to help others who have been devastated by this global pandemic. You don’t have to do what Terrence did, you just have to look at your own community to know what needs to be done. Here are a few way you can help those in need:
Get involved with helping others.
Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while
Tell a family member how much you love and appreciate them
Help with a household chore at home
Arrange to watch a film at the same time as a friend and video call
Tell someone you know that you are proud of them
Tell someone you know why you are thankful for them
Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling
Send someone you know a joke to cheer them up
Spend time playing with your pet
Reach out to a friend, family member or neighbor who is experiencing loneliness or self-isolation
Donate to a charity
Call a colleague and ask how they’re finding the change in routine
Give praise to your colleague for something they’ve done well
Donate to food bank
Over the years, our paths have crossed for dozens of reasons and I sometimes forget that he’s an incredibly busy man, but whenever we get the chance to actually sit down and chat, I’m reminded that he’s well versed, intelligent, interesting and focused, but he’s also a Director, Producer, a Master of Touring and beneath all that, a performer at heart. Thank you and your team for all that you’ve done. Can’t wait to get back on tour again. I need a show..!!!!