Theater and Community

The vikings beat longswords on their shields and erupted into a battle cry. Like the tide pouring in, the warriors rushed from their posting around the perimeter of the castle and clashed in the center of the arena, fighting with weapons and fists. Blood and sweat dripped from brows as they exchanged blows. 

Wolfbane Productions is known for its immersive, irreverent adaptations of popular theater productions—it’s “theatre for non-theatre people.” Their adaptation of Hamlet was no exception. Viewers in the front row definitely received a shower of spittle and fake blood as the actors fought and roared through the two and half hour show.

The Wolfbane Performing Arts Center in Appomattox, Virginia

For the past ten years, I’ve been driving by billboards on 460 for Wolfbane Productions. Their performing arts center, dubbed the WolfPAC, is unlike any other venue I’ve experienced. It’s out in the boonies—located in the heart of Appomattox County, Virginia, an area with more wildlife than people. It’s the last place you’d expect to see Broadway-quality productions. And I adore Broadway.

Our experience at the WolfPAC last weekend left me reflecting on my lifelong enjoyment of the theater arts. This article from The Royal George Theatre explores why theatre is important to society and culture, and I wanted to focus on three points that I’ve seen in my own life: fostering community and connection, theater is a reflection of society and culture, and stimulating creative thinking. 

Theater and Community: Fostering Community Connection

Some of my earliest memories include singing and acting in my church’s annual children’s choir musical. My parents put me and my brother in all of the same activities when we were young, but my brother really took a liking to theater arts. When we were in high school, he pursued musical theater and choir, while I started playing sports—basketball to be specific.

He performed in a variety of shows, including Painting the Fence, Cinderella, and Annie. While he had the talent and voice for musical theater, we both loved it. During my senior year of high school, we drove to Nashville together to see my first off-Broadway performance, Wicked. Since then, we’ve seen a variety of shows together—both off and on Broadway, including Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, The Lion King, Rock of Ages, The Book of Mormon, and more.

Theater has brought me and my brother together—it’s something that we share, and I cherish the experiences we’ve had traveling to venues in Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, and New York City. 

Theater Is a Reflection of Society and Culture

Like other arts, theater is a reflection of society and culture. It hones in on difficult or complex ideas and packages them in a digestible format on the stage. No matter how silly the show, I always find lessons in them. Some are more overt, while others are hidden beneath jokes and innuendo (you have to look pretty hard in The Book of Mormon).

I remember walking into Come From Away totally blind—I’d never even heard of the show when my brother bought the tickets. It turned out to be a heartwarming vignette of humanity coming together in the face of tragedy. Come From Away tells the story of 38 international aircraft being rerouted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The influx of passengers doubles the size of the small town, and the townfolk welcome the travelers and show kindness and hospitality during an unprecedented time in history. This show left me wondering what I would do in a similar situation. 

Every good show should leave you with questions, even if the questions are as simple as, “What would I have done in the same situation?” After seeing 9 to 5, I can definitely say that I would not kidnap my boss and usurp the company. But characters in books, movies, and plays always make outlandish decisions because they are caricatures of real life. While their actions may be exaggerated, the feelings of disgust and desperation Judy, Violet, and Doralee felt while working under an egotistical, sexist boss are very real, and that’s what makes them relatable. 

Stimulating Creative Thinking

One of Stephen King’s most famous quotes on writing is, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Reading will always be one of the best exercises for writers, but I think consuming works on the page or on the stage (or screen) are beneficial because they stimulate creative thinking. 

I’m thinking about this through the lens of a writer because I am a writer, but you could apply this to any other art—theater, music, painting, drawing, pottery, etc. Creative types draw inspiration from creative works as well as the world around them. 

I fell in love with writing because I loved reading first—I loved stories, especially reading them, but I don’t discriminate. I have always loved plays, radio dramas, movies, and TV shows—if it tells a story, I want to listen. Every story I hear stokes the fire of my imagination.

In conclusion, theater is pretty awesome. I live in the middle of nowhere, and we have pretty damn good theater productions right down the street (even further out in the boonies than my house). Go buy some tickets—check local schools and theater groups—and enjoy the show!