The Value of Live Theater in Kitsap County WA
The
current CSTOCK (Central Stage of County
Kitsap) production of Meredith Wilson’s ‘Music
Man’ is a perfect example of why I’m such a HUGE fan of
Live Theater and the value it offers to our
community here in Kitsap County WA.
Granted, being involved in a local production is a big time commitment and requires a lot of work. Most of CSTOCK’s shows are large cast musicals, like ’Music Man’ with nearly 50 cast members! Add to that the production crew, costuming, set construction, orchestra musicians, parents/volunteers, etc., and you’ve got the population of a small town! River City, Iowa, to be exact!
What’s so exciting to watch is how everyone works so hard and diligently together, combining their individual talents and abilities, to create and perform as a seamless ensemble.
This is no easy task, especially given the wide range of ages
represented among the cast, coordinating all the various elements
of the production, and the challenging logistical constraints
of performing in a very small theater space.
What I personally find so rewarding is the positive affect our community theater has on our member’s self-worth and esteem, especially for the youth. It’s thrilling to observe a kid gain a greater sense of personal confidence and develop improved social skills. They also learn the valued lesson of hard work, and the satisfying reward of applause.
During the course of intense rehearsals, camaraderie and friendships are fostered among the cast and crew. Many of our shows have enlisted the talents of entire families, providing them with a safe and enjoyable environment to spend quality time together.
CSTOCK community theater offers its audience a muchly needed escape from the everyday worries and cares of life. A show magically transports you to another time, another place, where you become wonderfully lost within the story.
‘Music Man’ runs for 3 more weekends. Fridays and Saturdays the show starts at 7:30pm. On Sundays, curtain opens at 6pm. Purchase your tickets on-line now because all three shows this past weekend were nearly sold out!
And, allow me to encourage you to invest in community theater and become involved in CSTOCK, as either an active volunteer/participant, or simply as a regular audience member.
Thanks for your helpful support!
For more information on how you can plug-in, go to www.cstock.org
Other Kitsap County Community Theaters:
Western WA Center for the Arts (WWCA) in Port Orchard
Bremerton Community Theater (BCT)
Amen Mr. Jacobson! BTW, I still owe you lunch!
My husband and I attended CSTOCK’s performance this past Friday, finding it to be outstanding—top quality music, excellent acting, clean, good family fare–even a decent balance between orchestra and vocalists—and we were sitting right next to the orchestra!
Last night we attended Klahowya’s “Fiddler on the Roof”, supporting a one of the cast members—expecting it to be another “high school play.”
We were blown away…! This was the best high school play my husband and I have ever seen. I would say, it ranks just a notch or two below community theater. The sets and costumes are as good; the acting, understandably, reflects the younger mind and body—but is surprisingly mature. We came, expecting a bit of a letdown because it was a high school play—-steeling ourselves for some degree of disappointment.
I was smiling from the opening number, nearly through the end of Act 1–uncharacteristic for me.
We appreciate good quality theater, and for that reason typically confine ourselves to WWCA and Jewel Box.
“Fiddler” runs for one more week….I would strongly encourage folks to get out and see it.
Furthermore, I would like to see the Kitsap Sun review high school productions in the weekly A&E section–saving the glowing reports for the productions that merit them. The kids can use our support, and we adults can use the boost…!