All the World’s a Stage (Supporting Community Theatre) Why Celebrates diversity and the unknown Grows your tastes It’s a non‐athletic team sport that teaches collaboration and provides social training Nurtures new artists and a wide variety of talent Allows people to share valuable skills Provides a safe escape Great way to celebrate a special occasion or a night out on the town It’s a means of communication, and spiritual and emotional connection It stimulates creative thought and opens our minds to alternative possibilities; this creative thinking improves professional, personal, and business life. Opportunity to socialize with new people Allows us to be a part of the storytelling process The theatre is a place where community can gather to have a shared, one‐of‐a‐kind experience. How Attend Go! Fill the seats. Being in the audience is important, and it’s not hard to do. Turn your phone off at the theatre Be engaged and in the right mindset to celebrate diversity and the unknown Know what a play is about before you see it. Research and know the basic story and characters. Express genuine emotion. If something is funny, laugh. Read the program/playbill before and after the show, or during intermission, but not during the show. Apply what is going on onstage with your own life. Be engaged with the performers, and try to imagine yourself in their shoes. Be willing to see something new, not just what’s familiar or based on a Disney movie. You wouldn’t see just the Mona Lisa over and over again. With Kids Take the new generation to the theatre. Teach kids the value in it. Talk with kids about themes, storylines, characters, lighting, set, costumes, comedy, tragedy, life, acting, directing, and staging. These are good topics to research together. Before a show, talk with kids about what to look out for. Following a show, talk with kids about how they felt and what was learned. Enroll children in after‐school programs and summer theatre camps. Service and Support Phone your local theatre and ask what their needs are. “What can we do?” Do they need help one time, or on a continual basis? Ask, “What’s on your Wish List?” Ask your local theatre if you could bring in a group for a service project. They may need help with landscaping or cleaning. Become a sponsor of a production, and/or buy season tickets. Donate monetarily if you can. Advertise your business in the program/playbill. Offer to donate services: catering, graphic design, printing, floral, office help, concessions, ushering, haircuts to actors, etc. Consider donating clothing to be used as costumes, household items to be used as props Ask for opportunities to help backstage. Use your special skills in sewing, painting, building, and learn alongside professionals while you do it. Volunteer your time and talents by being in a show! Any criticism (in a letter, email, phone call, or otherwise) should be with the intent to lift others. Mention, specifically, what you loved about what you saw. Lift those doing the work, and be kind. Sources: http://almostfamouslisa.blogspot.com/2010/03/how‐to‐be‐good‐audience‐member.html Dr. Christopher Clark, Chair, Department of Theatrical Arts, Utah Valley University Anne Swenson, Hale Center Theater Orem http://theatrewashington.org/content/7‐reasons‐why‐theatre‐makes‐our‐lives‐better http://dbruch.hypermart.net/engineer/exper.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/stage/ci_3101418 http://www.lyricarts.org/about‐us/articles‐we‐love/why‐community‐theatre‐is‐important‐to‐the‐whole‐ theatre‐community/ http://plays.about.com/od/playwrights/a/supportplays.htm .