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'An outlet for your creativity'

10/19/2008

Though often overshadowed, community theater groups perform key roles

by Beth Wilberding
Messenger-Inquirer

With buckets of light blue and brown paint laid before them on the stage at the Palace Theatre in Greenville, a group of children gathered with very specific instructions.

The paint goes on the wall, not on one another.

The youngsters are also cast members for Muhlenberg Community Theatre Inc.'s upcoming production of "Willy Wonka, Junior."

Muhlenberg Community Theatre has been presenting shows since the early 1980s, and its seasons have grown to include musicals and children's shows.

Though sometimes overshadowed by larger performing arts centers that bring in touring productions, community theater plays a vital role in the areas they serve.

Owensboro has a rich history of community theater with Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, which was founded in 1955. After four years, the group disbanded for several years before restarting in 1967.

The local community theater scene expanded again a couple of years ago when Merely Players was founded. The troupe has performed shows in nightclubs, at Healing America and in venues outside Owensboro.

Though community theater in some nearby counties doesn't have as long a history as Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, they are building traditions of their own.

'No divas allowed'

Muhlenberg Community Theatre began in 1980 after several Muhlenberg County residents discussed their community's need for theater, according to Sherie Duvall Buchanan, who is one of the founders.

"We had all been talking about how we were from different places and loved the idea (of doing community theater)," Buchanan said.

Its first two shows were "Signs of the Times" and "Spiral Staircase."

Muhlenberg Community Theatre's shows were first held at Central City High School and other venues before moving in the mid-1980s to the Palace Theatre, a former movie theater on Main Street in Greenville.

The group is now working on expanding its facility. It recently purchased a former furniture store that is next door to the Palace Theatre.

The group's costumes, props and other equipment are stored on the second floor, and organizers plan to put in a new stage for rehearsals, said Panda Allen, who directs and performs in shows with Muhlenberg Community Theatre. "It's an outlet for your creativity," she said. "We have so much talent in the community. It's unbelievable."

The theater company is run entirely by volunteers. Actors also help build sets, often coming in on Saturday mornings to do work.

There are "no divas allowed," Allen said.

Jeff Dickinson, president of Muhlenberg Community Theatre's board of directors, is one of the organization's founders. He has also acted in and directed shows with the company.

Community theater is "a way to get the theater arts to our public," he said. The group has continuously done shows since it was founded, and it now does a musical, a comedy, a drama and two children's productions each season.

Muhlenberg Community Theatre gets input from the county's school system when it selects its children's productions, and it makes study guides for classes to use. Students then have the opportunity to attend school-day productions, Dickinson said.

The Courthouse Players, based in Hartford, have been producing shows since 1982. The group performs on the top floor of the Ohio County Courthouse.

'Meaningful engagement in the arts'

Scott Stroot, department head for the Department of Theater and Dance at Western Kentucky University, said community theaters are valuable to the communities they serve.

"It's a very important role," he said. "Community theaters provide that real, direct meaningful engagement in the arts."

Many of his students get involved with shows at community theaters in Bowling Green when they're not working on shows at Western.

Though a certain number of theater students go on to professional careers in the field, many students work in other areas. They then get involved in community theater.

"They will all take a lifelong love of theater," Stroot said. "Very often, (former Western theater students) are instrumental in putting quality in community theater.

"In this department, we consider that just as much success as someone who goes off and gets famous. ... It's not all about becoming famous. It's about having a lifelong engagement with the arts in their community."

'A great way to meet people'

Though there doesn't seem to be a definite date for when the community theater movement began, amateur theaters were around as early as the colonial period, according to "Let There Be Art," an article on the American Association of Community Theatre's Web site. More community theaters began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Community theater brought members of the community together to provide entertainment, said Alan Velotta, president and founding artistic director of Merely Players.

"With the advent of larger productions coming through and national tours, it offers a more affordable type of entertainment or more affordable options than the big-ticket shows," he said. "It's a great way to make new friends, work on your communication skills (and do) community service."

Merely Players was founded just more than two years ago, and one of its missions is to produce plays that will engage nontraditional audiences -- people who wouldn't normally seek out theater as a form of entertainment, Velotta said.

The troupe plans to focus on working with new playwrights to premiere new material in the next year.

Graham Farrow, a British playwright who has come to Owensboro for the past two summers with previously produced shows, plans to return to town next summer and stay three months.

He'll come with a rough draft for a show, and Merely Players will help him work that into a final play.

Velotta is working on a musical comedy about the life of a comedienne. Merely Players also plans to do Shakespeare in the future, which would be the group's first time doing a classical work.

"We're friends now, but I didn't know most of these volunteers when the organization started," Velotta said. "It's a great way to meet people. If you're afraid to get involved, come to an audition and watch."

'Express their passion for theater'

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro began its 45th season in August after a successful 2007-08 campaign that was a complete sellout. Each season typically features at least one musical and one drama. TWO recently added a Christmas show to its regular season lineup.

Besides five main performances each year, TWO also produces a summer musical, summer children's productions and a drama club.

Community theater offers volunteer opportunities to residents of all ages, TWO Executive Director Mike Filbin said. "It gives them a chance to express their passion for theater on their time," he said.

One myth TWO has worked to dispel about community theater is that participants have to have a background in theater, Filbin said. "We're looking for people who have a desire to be involved in theater," he said. "They don't necessarily need to have any experience."

Filbin has been executive director of TWO for four years, and it is his first experience working in community theater. He had a small role in "Barefoot in the Park" a couple of years ago but prefers to be behind the scenes.

The only difference between professional actors and TWO volunteers is that professional actors are paid, Filbin said. Each production volunteers work on lasts several weeks.

"I guess the biggest thing here is the level of talent we have here in Owensboro," he said. "It's amazing ... it's a family bond. You connect with those people, and you're a family for six to eight weeks."