I've been involved with the thea-teh most of my life, both on and off the stage, the latter of which some might see as a blessing. ("Yeah, he belongs on the stage alright...the first one leaving town!")The thing is I believe it is a viable art form, one that can be embraced on every level of society, hence, its longevity in an era when virtual is beginning to take hold. Post-Covid, if there will ever be such a thing, theater was clinging on by its very fingernails, on the very brink of becoming totally extinct in this lifetime. When the tentative "All clear" sounded, there was a resurgence and once again, the hills are alive with the sound of applause when the curtain blissfully rose again.
The following theater groups have been very, very good to me in the past few years I've enjoyed as a produced and now published playwright. I want to return the favor to these good people by showcasing them here with links to their websites or Facebook pages. Give them a click, check them out, show your support. If they're in your area, so much the better. Stand behind them. They're good for the community. They're also good for business.
These are the the theater groups that are, as of this writing, still in operation. Click 'em, give 'em a look, support 'em if you can.
GRAHAM REGIONAL THEATRE GRAHAM, TEXAS
THE GREAT AMERICAN MELODRAMA THEATRE OCEANO, CA
MANTORVILLE THEATRE COMPANY MANTORVILLE, MINNESOTA
STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE STATE COLLEGE, PA
SANZMAN PRODUCTIONS LOS ANGELES, CA
RIO LINDA/ELVERTA COMMUNITY THEATER RIO LINDA, CA
THEATRE SUBURBIA HOUSTON, TEXAS
GOLDEN CHAIN THEATRE OAKHURST, CA
DELTON ACT DELTON, MICHIGAN
STAGECOACH THEATRE LOUDON COUNTY, VIRGINIA
SAN LUIS VALLEY THEATRE COMPANY FORT GARLAND, COLORADO
MT. VERNON COMMUNITY THEATRE MT. VERNON, MISSOURI
ACTORS STUDIO INC. BAKER CITY, OREGON (re-located to Hemphill, TX)
BRICKSTREET COMMUNITY PLAYERS CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO
BRAZOS THEATRE OF WACO WACO, TEXAS
AVENUE THEATER WEST PLAINS, MISSOURI
SUGAR HIGH THEATRICALS GALESBURG, ILLINOIS
ROGUE THEATER STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN
CHEYENNE LITTLE THEATER PLAYERS CHEYENNE, WYOMING
BLACK BART PLAYERS (now MURPHYS CREEK PLAYHOUSE) MURPHYS, CA
TAKE A BOW, PEOPLE!
Those that didn't make the list are no longer in operation, such as the late, great Palace Showboat Theater at Pollardville in Stockton, CA where it all began for me, Mel O' Drama Theater in Nashville where the angel who walks on Earth, Mel Roady convinced me to write a couple of goofy-ass murder mysteries, the Foothill Theater Company in Jamestown, CA and the Gaslight Theatre in Campbell, CA.
Also a big shout to another of my own stomping grounds, STOCKTON CIVIC THEATRE in Stockton, CA where a lot of my friends and former colleagues are still hoping to trod the boards once again.
These are but a few. There are more out there than you can imagine. Try this link for more info about community theaters across the country.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY THEATRE
To all of you out there-actors, singers, dancers, musicians, writers, directors, producers, stage hands
and all theater personnel in one form or another...
BREAK A LEG!
We're going to need it.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL THEATERS!
