Community theatre people are a rare breed. They love theatre so much that they’ll produce, act, direct, crew, promote, design, and contribute a lot of personal time to make it happen. It’s all a voluntary effort. No one gets a paycheck. They do it for the love of theatre, for the love of acting, for the fun and creativity.
Nearly all of them have full-time jobs, a professional life of some kind, along with family and community responsibilities. (Several professional singers and actors and choreographers have worked with us over the years on the same voluntary basis). And in addition to all that, they contribute untold hours to make sure a show is as “professional” as possible. These “amateurs” are as committed to quality as the paid pros are. (They just have a much smaller production budget and try to keep ticket prices as low as possible so everyone can afford to come to shows).
Want to get in on the fun?
Let us know who you are and how you want to play. Go to https://www.act2theatre.org/adult-registration-form/ and fill out the form.
(There’s also one for people under age 18 on this page: https://www.act2theatre.org/under-18-registration-form/.)
Of course, everyone has different reasons for participating, and everyone has different levels of commitment. Some people are so committed to a playing a particular role that they would give up their job to do it. That’s one extreme, for sure, but we’ve known people who were prepared to do just that. Some, knowing that the group has a limited budget, will buy extra costume pieces, accessories, props, etc. with no thought of remuneration — just for the good of the show. Of course, we don’t expect them to do that! But some will, all the same.
Some do it for the art of it. Some do it for the camaraderie of other artistic, creative people. (Others love doing theatre because of the parties, and yes, there are parties). Most community theatre folk do theatre because they just can’t not do it. It’s as much a necessity as air.
All are willing to contribute an enormous amount of concentrated time each time they commit to a production. After working a full day at a job, they grab a quick bite and race to rehearsal where they spend a few hours before heading home. One or two nights a week along with Saturday and Sunday afternoons and every night the week before the show opens can add up to a big time commitment.
So next time you attend a community theatre show, keep in mind that though these folks may earn a living some other way, theatre is their passion.