Start A Community Theater in the Country

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A few people may become involved in a theater group for years and never appear before the footlights ... they love the backstage life. Others, however, frankly admit that they're in it for the glory.

"I love to act," said one "star". "It's the only time I feel truly alive. I guess you could say I'm a country ham in the process of being cured."

But there are other forces that drive people to devote so much loving energy to this "land of pretend". Listen to some of the members of our group:

"I work at a job that's completely unimaginative. In a play, I can actually create something!"

Another: "I'm a born exhibitionist. If it weren't for the community theater, I'd probably be arrested for streaking."

Another: "It seems my whole life has been wrapped up in my husband, my children, and my house. I need something more than that. Everybody does!"

Another: "I heard the community theater had an unsavory reputation ... so I joined it!"

Another: "I was a drama major in college, but I had to forget all that when I got married. The little theater makes me feel I haven't sacrificed all my ambition and talent."

And finally: "I. do it for only one reason," said our telephone-line-repairman-turned actor."The cast parties. The community theater has the best parties in the county!"

A SUMMARY OF SUCCESS

I guess the age-old excitement that occurs when a group of people get together to produce a play can best be summed up in the words of our northern Idaho director:

"Everyone admires the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly. That's what we try to do here . . . take the caterpillar of a raw play and raw actors, and turn it into something beautiful that can soar on its own wings.

"Or perhaps it would be a better analogy to say that we fill the role of Dr. Frankenstein. We take a lot of diverse parts . . . assemble them into a meaningful pattern ... attempt to breathe some life into the monster. . . and hope it doesn't run amok."

Epilogue: Two years after our Boundary County Community Theater was established by a handful of amateurs, it was granted financial backing from the State of Idaho.

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