400 Words
from Adriano Cabral, Assistant Professor of Acting, Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Nevada, Reno
Why Should Professionals Do Community Theatre? ome of my commercially minded friends challenge community theatre as an economic waste of time, and many of my fellow trained artists pretentiously view it as a dilution of our craft. As a passionate opportunist, I view it as the true resource it is: a chance to share stories and to grow. Community theatre often gets a bad rap for its smashing together of artists from amateurs to professionals, but I have learned valuable lessons from collaborating with people of various skill levels. As a non-union actor, I’ve had the opportunity to work with highly skilled union artists who chose to participate in community theatre simply for the joy of it. Volunteering our time to work for our art is a lesson in selflessness and gratitude. Egos dissolve and trust grows as we focus on the
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4 x Southern Theatre x Summer 2016
project at hand, rather than the length of the résumés in the room. Balancing my teaching schedule with performing has not always been easy, but I know the one thing that will destroy us as artists – even more so than not booking a gig – is not practicing. Musicians practice their instruments daily. Dancers practice routines and condition their bodies daily. As actors, we are our own instruments – and we are the worst at scheduling daily practice. Performance is our practice, and we need an on-stage medium to truly test our work. Community theatre is a setting where we can often find that. In this highreward environment, I have experienced the opportunity to: • Test my skills and take risks; • Try my hand at something new;
• Quickly build my résumé; • Develop resourcefulness; • Create new work; • Engage with my community. The point of theatre, if there could be just one, is to share stories with individuals and find our common ground. Community theatre breaks through socio-economic barriers and provides accessibility to artists and patrons alike. It gives us the opportunity to practice our craft. It brings people together and keeps theatre alive. Imagine: a group of strangers with nothing in common but their love of theatre. Doesn’t it make you want to join in? n Have an opinion you would like to share on a topic related to theatre? Send your column of 400 or fewer words to deanna@setc.org.