Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
Creating Theatre Holiday Traditions at Your Community Theatre
“Whether through creative performances, festive events, or heartfelt celebrations, these traditions can become an annual highlight for your theatre and its audience.”
Nazi Demonstrators Harass Community Theatre Production of "The Diary of Anne Frank"
“There are reports coming out of Michigan where a group of demonstrators carrying Nazi flags appeared Saturday night outside a community theater performance of the "The Diary of Anne Frank".”
Theatre Seemingly Encouraging "Brown Face" for West Side Story Production
“A local dinner theatre is facing backlash for an audition notice for their upcoming production of West Side Story. In the ad, along with encouraging all ethnicities to audition, the notice also encourages those “who can believably play Latinos” to also show up. Many online are accusing the theatre of either encouraging “Brown Face” or opening the door to “whitewash” this production.”
The Show That Made Me Want to Pursue Theatre
When I look back from my resume of theatre roles, there's one that stands out to me as the one. The one that made me want to pursue musical theatre. That role was a child in the kids chorus of Joseph And the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Youth Theatre Directors Need to Be More Patient
"Over the years, so many of my students have found theatre to be the “home” they’ve been yearning for. We must be patient enough to help cultivate their young, impressionable lives in theatre and how they act as humans while in our care."
Why Every Theatre Kid Should Be Required to Take Improv
"Maybe the kids we teach won’t choose a career as a comedian or a traveling troupe. However, they will gain the invaluable skills needed to expand their ability to approach situations that might arise from new angles."
The Challenges of Balancing Theatre and Family
"As someone who has been involved in theatre for well over a decade, one common theme I have found is an overabundance of young people who work in theatre. This is amazing, don’t get me wrong! But, the realities of mixing those who have families with younger people can sometimes take work."
I Can't Stand Censorship in Community Theatre
For over forty years, I have been performing and directing in community theatre, and one thing has been a real concern to me…censorship of a published work.
I guess for me; it is about presenting the piece as it was written for the stage. By not doing this, you are not giving an audience the real product as it was meant to be. I was involved in a production of The Full Monty, and we did THE FULL MONTY at the end of the show. Audiences loved it! You do need to have the right lighting effects in order to pull this off, of course. But we did, and it went off without a hitch.
When allowed to direct it for another theatre company possibly, I asked if they would be going all the way. Their answer was, “No.” That cemented my answer for that opportunity.
If You're Charging People to be in Your Show, You Can't Cast Your Kid in the Lead Role
“I was recently alerted to a situation where the director of a summer theatre program, that charges in order to participate, routinely casts their son in the lead of their shows.”
20 Ways To Be The Actor Everyone Wants to Work With
“If these ethics and habits are not demonstrated, not only do one’s chances of being cast dramatically decrease but also people simply do not wish to associate with them or support them in any of their theatrical endeavors.”
Man to take plea deal regarding sexual assault at Texas theatre
“A former employee at the Wichita Theatre in Wichita Falls is expected to accept a plea deal regarding the allegations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl at the theater. Josiah Alan Derbyshire was charged with sexual assault of a child in connection with an incident in July 2018.”
What Community Theatre Gave to Me
“I am what I am…a community theatre performer and director and proud of it.”