The True Meaning of Community Theatre

Greetings All....

I am on a mission - I want quotes - I want people's input !!!

What is the True Meaning of Community Theatre.... ????

I hope you will all reply to this thread - the more input the better...

Cheers
Melz
:-)

Melanie DeCull
Publicity Coordinator
Independent Theatre Association of WA
Lotteries House, 2 Delhi Street
West Perth WA 6005
Mobile: 0417 093 800
Email: melaniedecull@bigpond.com

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I hate to be cynical (in this case anyway), but I think the true meaning of Community Theatre is;

"...doing the best you can with what you've got."

Leah

Although Leah would be on the right track I dont think it is just "doing the best with what you've got." I think it is also working together, to make the show better, I know from personal experience, that even if it is just one person that isnt pulling their weight, it can throw the whole thing off course. For example people not turning up to rehearsals. I was in a show at the beginning of the year where the final dress rehearsal (the thursday, when we opened on the friday) was the first time we had had a full cast.

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melanie,

i'll reply on a more positive note as in my small amount of experience in community theatre has been a soley good one...

i believe community theatre is the bringing together of a group of individuals enthusiastic and good-spirited enough to have a great time performing for the wider community, its making theatre accessible to the average person and children alike, in the end its more about the audience having a great time than the sometimes bloated head of the performer...

anyone else...?


darian

"...doing the best you can with what you've got."
"working together, to make the show better"


Yes, but how is this different to ANY theatre?



"bringing together of a group of individuals enthusiastic and good-spirited enough to have a great time performing for the wider community, its making theatre accessible to the average person and children alike, in the end its more about the audience having a great time than the sometimes bloated head of the performer..."


So far, this is getting closer to defining community theatre. But there are still elements that are also a part of much professional theatre...so what is it that distinguishes the two apart?

I can also cite examples where the community show was more about the PARTICIPANTS having a good time, bloated heads or no, while the audience patiently allowed them their indulgence. This is exactly the opposite of the above point, but it also seemed to me to sum up the nature of community theatre..

??

Perhaps an element, which I am likely to be taken to task for for suggesting, is a notion of quality. So before I get jumped on, I'll be first to admit that one, quality is very subjective and hard to define, and two, it exists in just as many amateur shows as it sometimes does not exist in professional, and vice versa.

But emphasising the word COMMUNITY seems to me the key, that the community experience is given a higher priority than the quality standard. This is not to say that both can not coexist. But the number one priority is that community members get to participate, learn, watch, enjoy each others successes and failures, and just HAVE A GO....regardless of skill standard. Obviously, the more chances you get to have a go, the greater chance that skills will improve. With a community emphasis, there is far more forgiveness, far less expectation....which leads to greater trust, and probably more fun. The show may be bad, but it doesn't matter so long as the community of cast, production team and audience are all supportive. If the show is good, that's just another reward but it's not the main goal.

To me that seems to be the point of the word 'community'. Professional companies have a different agenda, and even though they are frequently involved in community projects, there is always an assumption about the standards expected by the professionals involved. Amateur companies that have no community agenda are also motivated by quality first, within their limited means.

Community theatre can incorporate aspects of both the professional and amateur world, but essentially it's a grown-up version of what we do when we help kids create theatre. The main reason it exists is for the kids to have a go and have fun.

Community theatre is an excuse for us to be kids.

What better excuse do we need?


Cheers
Craig

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Community theatre is being allowed to See the Sounds & Hear the Lights -While playing in the sand pit!

Community theatre is being allowed to See the Sounds & Hear the Lights -While playing in the sand pit!
Chookas

Community Theatre is where a group of people take up the opportunity of being involved in theatre because of the ease of access to recources at greatly reduced costs and the reduced exposure of their efforts.

I received this via my email today - thought I would contribute this to the discussion (Thanks David):



To sum up - Amatuer comes from a French word meaning 'for the love of it'.

For the love of theatre. Amateur theatre.



Cheers everyone - keep it coming... I want to publish some of these results... looking for the heart and soul of what community theatre means...

Melz
:-)

Melanie DeCull
Publicity Coordinator
Independent Theatre Association of WA
Lotteries House, 2 Delhi Street
West Perth WA 6005
Mobile: 0417 093 800
Email: melaniedecull@bigpond.com
Web: www.theatre.asn.au

To me, Community expressed on three levels of Amateur theatre.

One, the sense of community created by the cast and crew, production team, of a particulat production. Where for a set amount of time, a group of individuals, come together on a particular project and become like a little family.

Two, at the administrative, wider lever of the operations of the theatre.
This comprises the whole membership, committee and patrons. Who come together to have an impact on the direction a group is taking, on a social interaction level, of like minded people getting together, and in getting something on the stage "x" number of times per year.

Three, at the wider level, where the theatre is an active member of the local community, participating in various different events. In bringing various events into the theatre and providing a venue for community use. Also about being an asset to the community, and providing some culture to those who may not be able to, or wish to access it through professional venues and organisations.

Fourth,
Its about a group of people relieving the frustrations of their daily lives, by moving away from the mundane and into a fantasy world!!!!

Chew on them bickies, guys!!!!

Cheers,
Chris