JOINED
AT THE HIP

Topics: Commitment; Cooperation; Marriage; Relationships; Teamwork

Reference: Matthew 19:3–12

Side Show is a musical based on the true story of the Hilton twins. The Hiltons were Siamese twins who rose from poverty as a sideshow attraction to become a singing and dancing vaudeville act in the 1930s and, later, stars of some B-grade films.

One unusual element of this play is that the two lead actresses must play the parts of the Hiltons, who are “joined at the hip.” It doesn’t matter how good their individual talents are if they can’t work together and if they can’t do it convincingly. The success of the show depends on the success of their partnership. If one of them decides to go solo, the show is over.

That is a good metaphor of marriage. Once the commitment is made, husband and wife are, as it were, “joined at the hip.” They succeed or fail together. Other people don’t generally think of one without thinking of the other. Wherever life’s drama takes them, their success depends on doing it together.

—Lee Eclov, Lake Forest, Illinois