Community Theater- Page 2

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 4:12pm

perfectliar said: "What's the point of this post? People don't have to be involved with a production to enjoy it. I've seen wretched community theatre shows that have received riotous laughter and applause, because SOME PEOPLE go to the theatre to have fun and escape, and in some places, live theatre is cheaper than the movies.

Apparently you went to this show so you could feel superior and come on this board after the fact and spread bitter, b****y contempt."

Hell, I've seen wretched productions at all levels, from Broadway to the lowest community or school productions. I've also seen great productions at all levels as well. But, like many, I've never cared for this sort of contempt that gets shown to community theaters and other non-professional level productions. It's why I always hated that old mega-thread of "bad" high school and community theatre clips that people found on Youtube and insisted on keeping going for far longer than it should have. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 7:58pm

The thing I missed most during lockdown was rehearsals with my local theatre group. I wouldn’t change my love for community theatre for all the tea in China. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 8:03pm

Dollypop said: "I guess a lot of you here are involved in community theater."

No. We just aren't so rude and dismissive of other people.

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 10:21pm

Without community theatre, there would be no WAITING FOR GUFFMAN!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 10:27pm

JasonC3 said: "Dollypop said: "I guess a lot of you here are involved in community theater."

No. We just aren't so rude and dismissive of other people."

 

How sad.

 

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 11:24pm

The vast majority of my in-person exposure to the performing arts has been through community (and school) theatre. I fell in love with musicals in 5th grade from watching The Sound of Music film and starting the following year when I started middle school, I went to almost every musical at the middle and high school and those done by the local community youth theatre group all the way til I graduated from high school. (I had classmates/friends in many of them). The first 2 shows I saw on Broadway were when I was in 8th and 10th grade - and both of those were school field trips. After that I did not see a show on Broadway specifically til 2018. After I graduated high school and moved to my current state of Vermont, I started seeing the national tours that come to my town, as well as some shows put on by our community theatre company. In the fall of 2019, during my last semester of community college, I had a teacher who volunteers with said theatre company - and who has become one of my absolute biggest inspirations. She invited me (and my best friend, who was also in the class) to the opening night party for their production of the Addams Family. That night she suggested that I consider volunteering for their next show, Matilda. I started doing that, in January 2020, working on the costume team. Sadly (but unsurprisingly), the show was shut down 3 weeks before opening night. Along with my choirs, the cancellation of my family's upcoming NYC trip to see Hadestown (which did end up happening this past September) that was by far the hardest thing for me to lose. Finally, after an almost 2 year hiatus, Matilda finally got to take the stage this past month. I got to see the show twice and help backstage/downstairs by the dressing rooms for a performance. Getting to see the backstage areas of that theatre - to be in areas where touring Broadway performers are, to enter through the stagedoor, was absolutely surreal. I cried almost continually watching the show. The combination of the story and various things that had happened in my life over the past couple years just made it hit so hard. I won't say it was everything I expected and hoped for, cause there were aspects of it that were not, but the company and the show changed my life. I'll be starting working on the company's production of Into the Woods coming up soon.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Broadway. I feel like almost nothing can replace that feeling of sitting in a Broadway theatre. I absolutely wish I got to see more Broadway shows and I absolutely think it needs to be more accessible. But I can also absolutely say that I would not be the person I am without community theatre.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 4:14am

Dollypop said: "JasonC3 said: "Dollypop said: "I guess a lot of you here are involved in community theater."

No. We just aren't so rude and dismissive of other people."



How sad.

"

That just makes no sense, dollypop. Just accept you crossed a line.

[pmensky]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 5:18am

While the primary purpose of community theatre is often to serve the interests of those who participate in it, its positive result can be the same, primary purpose of educational theatre, which is to build an audience for theatre. Interest in going to the theatre isn’t always sparked by seeing a school play, listening to OBC recordings, or having motivated parents. If community theatre helps to continue creating an audience, it should be applauded, not mocked.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 4:33pm

dramamama611 said: "Dollypop said: "JasonC3 said: "Dollypop said: "I guess a lot of you here are involved in community theater."

No. We just aren't so rude and dismissive of other people."



How sad.

"

That just makes no sense, dollypop. Just accept you crossed a line."

Dollypop knows what he’s doing at this point. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 8:48pm

I guess I was wrong in judging all community theater by the ones I'd been exposed to.  Obviously there are better ones to be found.

I stand by my statements that the show I saw was slow-paced and that I disliked being told at the box office that I should laugh loudly. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 9:11pm

Yes. I really hate when the waitstaff tells me to enjoy my meal, too.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/26/22 at 9:27pm

dramamama611 said: "Yes. I really hate when the waitstaff tells me to enjoy my meal, too."

Oh, I agree! When they do that I'm tempted to return my meal on the spot.

[Square Peg2]

Posted: 5/27/22 at 6:21pm

Man. I've been involved in community theatre for years, and often make all these same complaints to the others I know who are also involved. Hearing someone else say it just hits different. Like, I can call my brother a nerd, but don't you dare call my brother a nerd!