Why Community Theatre?

I sit here with a cup of tea, trying to find the words to express the power and signficance community theatre has been in my life.  

My background as an actress has been varied, mostly in short films or plays that friends' have asked me to do, whereas in college, I got pushed away by those I thought could actually help.  But, still the hunger (as presently the rumble in my stomach proves) existed, burned: to create out of the clay that is my body, soul, heart a character, work of art.  I needed something outside of myself to define myself.  Even more than that, I knew not what I truly needed, a family of friends that would encourage me to follow my dreams, my passion, believe in me, stand for me and with me, and thus even moreso shape my identity. 

And, that is what I found in my local community theatre.  While some may call it unprofessional or even go so far as to call it a dump----I don't care!  Because what I am learning in my heart, it is what lies inside that matters beyond the physical or external reality. 

My theatre, the Randall Theatre, proudly expresses itself to be a "No Ego Zone."  What strikes me is that, we, in the human race, for whatever reason have an ego and can never truly walk this world in our skin suits without our pride getting in the way.  But, the meme of the Randall really asks is that one sacrifices their ego for the good of the production and the theatre.  In short, its not about you!

This is hard and I must admit even in myself it is all too frequently a struggle to banish that from myself.  While I agree that it healthy to have confidence in oneself, I see it in myself slipping into that egotistical mind-frame.  And, in truth, I see that as the danger-zone that can greatly diminish the quality of my art as well as those in my cast and the play as a whole.

So, why community theatre?  Not just the intensive training for possible future dreams yet unachieved, not just for the familial atmosphere and lifelong friends, but for the work to destroy in self all aspects of pride and ego--and move onto the greater good of art that uplifts and transforms self and the community.