Toronto

At one time, I entered through the stage door at Massey Hall in Toronto, down the stairs and into the bowels of Canada’s most famous concert hall. Built in 1893, Massey Hall is known as much for its exceptional acoustics and old-world elegance as for the performers who have passed through: Gould, Gillespie and Gershwin walked these same halls. But while they strode into the spotlight, I carried a flashlight. My fellow ushers, in too-big vests that might have been made from living room drapes, were as interesting as the stars. We were dancers, actors, musicians, students, moonlighting teachers, even a bookkeeper. And during shows, when we weren’t watching from the back of the theatre, we either hung out chatting or politely made patrons wait for breaks in the music before escorting them back to their seats. When it came time to move on, I knew that this would always be the coolest part-time job I would ever have.

– Craille Maguire Gillies