South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Places! Places!
Community theater offers rewarding experiences for a fraction of the cost of big-city shows
Lights up! Cue music.
Act 1: Setting the stage
Fall is here, and with it comes a rise in things to do in the arts around South Florida.
Overlooked amid the bright lights and big stars are the smaller community theaters and playhouses that give locals an opportunity to experience and even participate in theater — something that may be more intimate, relatable, accessible and, often, affordable.
We spoke to a few people who run some smaller, local theaters about the joys and benefits of attending and participating in community theater.
Act 2: The thrill of live theater
In their own words, theater directors, artistic directors, technical supervisors and marketing representatives speak about what they think the biggest benefits of community theater are for both the audience and the performers, who may often be the same people.
Kevin Barrett, executive director Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW 9th St. Delray Beach; DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com, 561-272-1281
“Back in the ’50s and ’60s and ’70s, there were community theaters all across the country and you would see the local town lawyer, doctor, dentist, school teacher, plumber — all would come out and perform at their local community theater because as a child and growing up, they really had a bug and a love for live theater, and though they needed to make a living, they wanted to be on stage. So over the course of the last 30, 40 years, one by
one, community theaters have disappeared around the country as expenses have gone up and there’s more competition now for entertainment.
“The Delray Beach Playhouse is really an iconic institution and it deserves to be preserved for as long as we possibly can and it’s been an integral part of the community for so long. Our fan base is so strong, we have almost 4,000 subscribers, which is a huge number in this day and age. So I think to retain that small-town charm and keep community theater alive at an affordable price for people that can’t afford a $100 ticket at a bigger venue down here, we provide a great night of theater and we do it every year.”
Daniel Eilola, artistic director
Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth; LakeWorthPlayhouse.org, 561-586-6410
“If you attend a community theater production, it helps us to be able to hire designers and directors and allows us to give opportunities to people to follow their dreams or to explore theater or to be exposed to theater for the first time.
“We have many people that have aspirations of going to New York City or another big, major theatercentered city to pursue a career, but we also have people that may have done that in a previous life that are now working a different job but still have that passion and still want to be part of things and create because they still are artists — or sometimes they’re people that are new to it and always wanted to try it and will audition and have ability and talent that they never knew they had.”
Jason Hester, technical supervisor
Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton; WillowTheatre.org, 561-347-3948
“There’s two sides of it — we’re fostering the development of groups that can go on. I’ve seen theater companies and actors and talent come through here that are doing shows at the Broward Center now because they were successful and worked hard and did a really good job and they got a chance at a smaller place like this and were able to go on to bigger and better things.
“With only 150 seats, it’s always been referred to as seeing live performances in your living room. You can sit in the last row and you’re in prime seating still. The value that our patrons get from a facility like this is that they’re able to see high-quality performances and they’re able to continue their own love for the arts. Supporting a facility like this makes all those things possible and the arts are important because life is a lot more boring without these sorts of things.”
Carol Kassie, marketer Carol Kassie Theatrical Marketing and Public Relations
“For young people — people who just graduated from either high school or a theater program — it gives them a chance to get on stage, sometimes with people who are more seasoned, people who have had more stage experience and really learn. There are a couple of good children’s theaters around as well, like the Sol Theatre in Boca that gives children the opportunity to work with professionals, so it’s such an invaluable resource and an invaluable experience.”
End scene. Curtain.