You enter the hot, cramped, dark auditorium of the Cab Calloway School of the Visual and Performing Arts. Put away the ticket and poster that they gave you at the entrance when you paid for the show. There is a buzz of chatter awaiting the school production of The Wizard of Oz. The historic theater has hosted over 300 productions over the past 50 years and is in need of repairs. Small children climb onto the worn seats, widening the holes. Fathers check their recording devices, while mothers discuss their children's role in the show. Your seat has chipped paint and there's an annoying 5 year old in the back, but you sit quietly and wait for the show to start. The lights flicker as a warning to the audience and everyone takes their seats. The lights go out completely and the only thing you see are the red exit signals and the cameras' LED displays. At the beginning of the show complete silence reigns and the stage lights illuminate the faces of the audience. Everyone's eyes are focused ahead. Some parents sit in silence, others cheer loudly, some even stand up to clap at certain moments. During the interval the theater empties completely and everyone goes to the school hall for refreshments and conversation. Everyone smiles and talks enthusiastically about the show. Some children sleep in their parents' arms, while others run and play with each other. There are many tables set up around the atrium providing information about the school and organisations, as well as local support groups and arts outreach programmes. You get a drink and sit down before the second act begins. At the end, the whole audience stands up and applauds. Cameras flash and flowers flow through... through the paper... acle alone. I believe that to truly understand and appreciate an event, you have to truly participate in it. The more you experience something, the more you will understand it. If you approach events with preconceptions and a closed mind, you will never know their value to the people who love them. Perceptions are personal, but sometimes the judgments we make are not accurate. Sometimes we don't see the whole picture. Sometimes distance from a situation can also alter perceptions; what seems normal to those close to us may seem unconventional or strange to a foreign observer. When a person is familiar and connected to an event, they do not think about how others potentially perceive the situation. When a stranger tries to understand the meaning of an event, the audience provides him with clues that he doesn't always know how to put together and what conclusions to draw..