Several top celebrities start their careers on small stages in their hometowns. They sing in nursing homes, and play Tree #3 in the community production of the wizard of oz. This sparks something that leads then to become nominated and award winning performers, showing up in magazines and on the big screen.
While we do not do community theater just to scout talent and find the next Lucille Ball, we do it to inspire those individuals to create. Movies, music, art and performance are critical to our humanity. Through these stories we can remember what we have lost, inspire people to take action, and project our goals into the future. Art is full of lessons and love, and we do community theater to help these individuals take their first steps.
These are some famous stage performers who got their start on small town stages, who endorse and credit community theater for their success.
Kristin Chenoweth
Now a veteran performer of Broadway stages, not to mention a Tony and Emmy winner, Kristin Chenoweth started out learning the ropes on a community theater stage. This powerhouse actress got her start at the Theater Tulsa during her college years. Located in Oklahoma, Theater Tulsa is the seventh longest-running community theater in America and strives to educate artists through training and experience.
Kristin Chenoweth credits this stage to his biggest time of discovery when it comes to her performance. We all have to start from somewhere, and she started in her community.
Chris Evans
While we now know Chris Evans as Captain America, he didn’t start out as a superhero. He grew up performing in community theater, acting with his two sisters and his brother in a children’s company called the Concord Youth Thereat. Chris did 15-20 shows on that small hometown stage. His family was so into the Concord Youth Theater that when Evans was around 18, his mother took over as the artistic director there and has been ever since.
Seeing his older sister, Carly, onstage inspired Evans to be an actor. He saw how when the show would end, his sister and the cast would rally together and give each other compliments, flowers, hugs, and candy. This is what inspired Chris to take the stage, he wanted to be a part of the community theater creates.
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is currently a go-to performer for musical theater films. Anna Kendrick, an Oscar nominee’s first taste of theater was through auditioning for local shows. Kendrick recalls doing multiple community theater shows.
Her first audition was for ‘Annie,’ when she was five years old. She didn’t get the lead that time around, but she did play one of the other orphans in the production. Kendrick remembers the experience fondly, reminiscing about singing “Hard Knock life” and playing with the other actress.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson has said himself that he owes everything to community theater. Robert Pattinson discovered his love of acting in community theater. Propelled by the desire to meet girls, he auditioned for a local amateur dramatic society, the Barnes Theater Club, in Southeast London. Although he didn’t find a girlfriend there, a talent agent spotted him during a show at the theater.
How YOU can discover your next big performer
Community theater is the training ground for all types of Broadway stars of the future (performers or none). Several other actors, actresses, writers, stage technicians and directors credit their careers to their small starts on the smallest of stages. The work we do in our community is vital to helping individuals find where they want to go, and what they want to do.
Build relationships with anyone who walks through your theater. One simple way to cultivate community theater is keeping your connections strong. Encouraging Alumni performers, and anyone who has participated in shows in any way to come back, help with other productions, donate, see the shows and more is vital. Keep these people on your mailing list. Put them on your board. Bam. Status goes up. Then you can ask them to give you advice, to sing a tune at a benefit, to give you a couple of social media mentions, to direct a show at the theater, etc., etc. You helped give these folks their start. They will give back.
Try out new programs, even if they fail. I’ve attempted to start several programs and traditions at my local theater, and only about 4 of them stuck. However, all my experiences were worth it. Attempt to put on original shows written by people from the community. Do readers theater, do open mic night, put on a comedy special, do ANYTHING to extend your outreach.
Establish a community theater day! Nothing is as important as a holiday. So make one! I’d expect some big-time buy-in from a lot of the folks who got their start in CTs, not to mention the people who are working in this world every day. And starting a “day” is easier than you think. You just get enough people to do it, and it becomes a thing. It’s like a standing ovation (and we all know how easy those are these days!).
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