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from my personal e-mail, I got this feedback:

"I appreciate your measured description of community theatre but it is still art and one of the greatest cultrual pleasures of life!!! So there."

(Agreed)

Jane,

i get the feeling the excerpt above came from an email in which the writer was a bit peeved at your description of community theater or your comparison.

i, on the other hand, would like to thank you for pointing out that "Community theatre doesn't rise to the level of professional theatre or come close to Broadway"

and i truly mean that in a positive way towards our great community theater.

while their are exceptions to the statement you made above, in general, it is fairly accurate.

the reason why i commend you on stating it, is that there are members of the community that attend community theater for the first time expecting a broadway productions and are disappointed with what we provide in contract to what they had expected. i have spoken with people that have this initial view after watching a performance. they speak of lighting, stage props, etc and pick at every minute detail.

this is not an attack on community theater. it is a reality of the situation. community theater operates on a fraction of the budget for any broadway production and with a skeleton cast of mainly novice actors (exceptions also apply here).

so, when people spend money and attend these friends of the arts programs they have to realize that what they will be watching is an expression of art that is excellently done considering the limited budget and mainly volunteer green actors. they won't get superior sound and lighting and a dedicated performance stage. they will get passionate actors giving their all and doing a great job making due with what they are given.

again, this is not an attack. think of this as the difference in watching an NFL game versus our island football league games at airport field. both give the audience something to cherish and enjoy and take away with them but they are incredibly different.

i would hope that the actors and the other friends of the arts people know this and do not take offense to what i am stating. i support the FOA and all that they are doing to better our community!

now go out and watch a darn good show :

Neil Simon's Plaza Suite
April 30 - May 2
Multi-Purpose Center
7:00PM

rushed that one.

remove the "s" and it should have read "contrast" not "contract"

Thanks, Anon.

Some people do have unrealistic expectations when they come to these productions.

They expect a show as slick as the movies. Many have never seen live theatre.

Broadway productions are expensive--Anna Rose just came from NYC where she payed $128 for a ticket to see a show that has been on Broadway for 20 years--not something new; not the greatest of seats in the theatre; just the going rate.

Community theatre is not as impressive, but it is theatre. I've seem some amazing performances here in Saipan. I think the sports analogy is a good one. We're having fun with the form--hope the audience likes it too.