OOPs! I never published this blog post … it’s about a month late. Even though I’m remiss in its posting until now, the sentiment and thoughts are still and always pertinent. So I give you without further adieu …
This weekend wraps up the performances of “Footloose” the musical with an organization – the Young Adult Drama Group (YADG). This year marks my fourth project with them. As the show ended last night I was speaking with one of the parents of a cast member. He was, of course, appreciative – and he also said, “This is something really great for the community as well as the kids. It’s a great way for them to spend their Summer.”
And that comment got me to reflect on why – really why – I do this and will continue to do this program each year (as long as they will have me back).
It is indeed a community – a communal experience. And by that experience we are all enriched. This is important (more than one might think) because we in the Western, developed world have an unhealthy attachment to “self,” and we tend to elevate “rugged individualism” to an extreme. We’ve lost the sense of community and the communal experience, where we innately know and believe that we are “all in this thing together.” Theater breaks the false myth of rugged individualism because one cannot succeed except for participation in and with the group of actors, techs, musicians, etc.
Let’s face it – we are seldom, if ever, acting alone in this thing called life and living … our actions have an impact on others, even if we are unaware of those consequences. Our decisions and our actions are by their very nature communal in that they are influenced by and, in turn, influence those around us. We learn this first from our own family. Then we experience a larger and larger community as we attend school, start a family of our own, get a job, etc. Every decision and action will have and does have an impact on someone somewhere in the community around me. Theater teaches us this very simple, yet all-too-often ignored, truth. It’s not didactic … but rather experiential. The young people see how their decisions and actions impact others around them. And given that we are all working toward the same goal – that of an entertaining performance – we work toward what is good for the community as a whole.
It’s like a saying attributed to Bertolt Brecht:
“Art is not a mirror, but a hammer. It does not reflect; it shapes.”
These young people are experiencing how to act within the context of a community – a community that they are choosing to create.
I’ve also seen these young people grow up and grow into confident young men and women. Even among the shy kids, over the years I have witnessed them gain confidence … they realize that they are indeed capable people; and when one works hard and is supported by others in their work, one succeeds. They also learn that taking risks is a necessary part of life … that one cannot just hide in an attempt to go unnoticed. Some of these same “shy kids” stepped up this year and auditioned for a leading role in the show. Just the act of auditioning was their accepting the need to take a risk. And nearly every one of them did get cast in a role … the risk paid off!
Lastly, it’s just plain old fashioned fun! We all have a good time working in rehearsals and then performing for an audience. It’s just a blast.
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