Who Says Community Theatre Doesn’t Belong in a Small Town?
Breann Nicholson
Teaching young people theatre was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. When I was 19 years old, I opened a theatre company with the help of two investors. I had the opportunity to not only direct shows but also teach classes to young people in my community.
Growing up in Pickens, South Carolina is tough when it comes to an art lover. In the small town, there are only a few theaters in nearby towns to be involved in and when it comes to public school, arts are almost non-existent. Friday nights are filled with stadium lights and touchdowns, not stage lights and scenes.
When I had the opportunity to open a theatre company in my hometown, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to create were classes that young people in my area could join and be a part of the bigger picture and to really experience the art of theatre.
The first class I taught was just a standard theatre and auditions class. I was nervous that I would not have any students sign up to take the class. I was amazed when I had eight students sign up for the 6-week class. These students ranged from the age of 8 years old to 14 years old.
These kids were incredible from the very beginning. I was amazed by their eagerness to come in and jump right off the literary cliff into the deep world of theatre. I assigned monologues for each of the students to just try out. I wanted to see how they approached a script without any direction. I had a box of props for them to choose from and I just told them to simply read and go with their instinct. They each blew me away. Each of them coming from the small town that I had lived in all my life, they had hardly any influence of actors to copy or mimic so the result was beautiful. As each of them performed, I saw the characters come to life and I saw the passion in the kids’ eyes.
After watching each of the kids perform, in tears, I told them how proud I was that they took a chance and were vulnerable. That night I learned so much.
1. No matter where you come from, theatre. can. live.
It doesn’t matter if you’re from a town of 100 people and you have one stoplight in the middle of town…theatre can live. Theatre can be created and theatre can make an impact. Theatre doesn’t have to come from big cities with big lights and big actors. Theatre comes from our hearts and it is created by the simple act of telling a story. Simple. Beautiful.
2. Theatre and vulnerability go hand in hand.
These kids walked into my classroom without any experience, without any knowledge of the theatre world and they definitely didn’t expect to be handed a monologue. Heck, they didn’t even know what a monologue was. They jumped and took a chance in front of me and 7 other classmates. They created worlds and characters that belonged in those worlds. I witnessed vulnerability and imagination at their finest. If only all actors went into auditions and prepared for shows with the vulnerability that these kids had.
3. Expect the unexpected.
I never expected so many kids to be interested in the art of theatre enough to take a class. I was uncertain but I knew that I wanted to share my passion with my community that had not experienced the art of theatre. I learned that I actually had more to learn from my community about my passion than I realized. I learned to expect the unexpected. Theatre was created that night in the small town of Pickens, South Carolina. I was astonished and so thankful that the art of theatre is able to catch on like wildfire in the hearts of the new young actors that emerged that night. The experience opened a new door to the art that I had never witnessed before and the innocence and beauty were incredible. How many more doors can be opened when we jump?
Photo: Community Theatre of Terre Haute