False Pretences

Being part of a theatrical production is like having to attend a family event (you know the ones where your attendance is mandatory and your only motivation is to make it past dessert without strangling someone). But unlike Thanksgiving where you can say your good-byes at the end of the night, grab your left-overs and run for the hills, a typical community theatre production will have you starring in your own little re-make of “Ground Hog Day” for two to three weeks.

Photo credit: Brian Campbell

Same people. Same location. Same script. Repeat.

And just like family, there will be some members of the cast that you look forward to seeing night after night. They are the ones that greet you with a smile and genuinely care about your well-being and success. Then there are those whom you can barely tolerate and whose mere presence can cause you to break-out into hives.

Welcome to my recent experience with community theatre.

As an actor, I didn’t receive any monetary compensation for my time and efforts. I knew that right from the get-go and anyone who has every volunteered for a community theatre production knows that you can’t be in it for the money "Cause you ain’t gonna get any!".

Instead, actors like myself volunteer our time and talents in the hopes of receiving an enriching experience full of artistic growth, lessons learned and kindled friendships.

But when expectations fall short (and I mean REALLY short!) and your balance sheet records more debits than deposits, you’re forced to make a decision:

Photo credit: Brian Campbell

Shall I stay or shall I go?

A mentor actually suggested that I quit the production. After all she said, “Why should (I) stick around if I’m not having any fun? Why should (I) spend (my) time and gas money going to a theatre on the other side of town if (I’m) not being respected?”.

Well, I’m glad that I didn’t quit the play. Even though I didn’t experience the artistic growth that I had hoped, I did learn some valuable lessons.

The primary lesson that I had learned is that if you want to be loved, you have to show that you are open to it. For those of us who have experienced at an early age just how rotten people can be, this can be a very tough lesson to learn. After all, the natural tendency is to protect ourselves when we think we’re about to get hurt. But in doing so, we end up repelling the very thing that we are seeking.

Photo credit: James Rha  (L-R: James Rha, Robert Sterling)

Ironic isn’t it?

So even though I was oh-so tempted to indulge in my old behaviours, I’m glad that I didn’t. Instead, I reached-out, took a risk and more importantly, showed everyone including my inner child that I was open to loving.

Whether it’s on-stage or off, interacting with people will always produce opportunities for growth and reflection. But whether or not we benefit from these lessons will depend entirely upon our attitude and whether or not we possess an open mind.

In the end, my experience with the play was not what I had hoped it would be. But because I said “Yes” instead of “No”, I ended-up connecting with some very talented individuals who taught me the following lessons:

Photo credit: James Rha  (L-R: James Rha, Sean Ullmann)

1.) Reserve judgement until you’ve taken a look at the bigger picture.

And

2.) In the midst of all the drama, always remind yourself that there’s always laundry that needs to be done.

To Bob and Sean: Thank you for your words-of-wisdom! You guys are the best!