It’s time to show up for the community theatre

Sarah Stortz

A few months ago, I made a scary decision: I decided to audition for a play.

More specifically, I auditioned for the Greene County Community Theatre’s production of “The Nerd,” which took place earlier this month. 

It was the first time in years I was back on the stage. Feeling like I was in a creative rut, I figured I needed some kind of outlet all while volunteering at the same time.

Starting out spending a few evenings reading the scripts to rehearsing at Greene County High School nearly every night, I will say the experience was time-consuming and even challenging at times.

It was my first time playing a major character in a show, with line memorization and blocking feeling more intimidating than ever. 

When it came to the second night of the performance, the date my family members showed up, the reason for those three months of work became crystal clear: Hearing their roaring laughter throughout the night.

Meeting with them afterwards, I remember how enriching it was in helping bring a creative vision to life. 

Despite all of the positive comments and laughs I’ve heard, I still believe the community theatre can grow even further. 

Director Josh Tuel shared a similar message before every production, but I feel it needs to be stated here as well: Community theatre is dying in small towns, but this doesn’t have to be the case for Jefferson.

As of late, many people have turned to the convenience of at-home entertainment, watching their favorite movies or TV shows from their living room. While this obviously has its value, Jefferson is still deserving of quality, live entertainment, and it needs more people in order to keep it accessible. 

Luckily, the community theatre has enough opportunities for you to get involved. This upcoming fall, the theatre will host auditions for their fall show from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11. Updates on the production will be included on the Greene County Community Theatre Facebook page.

Even if you have a little interest in helping out but have stage fright, there’s plenty of opportunities behind the scenes. Personally, I knew I wouldn’t have made it through the show without the crew members handing me the props I needed.

Beyond this, please check out future shows from the theatre. There’s a lot of local talent that deserves to be witnessed. 

Live theatre has its own form of magic, and you can be part of it as well. 

Contact Us

Jefferson Bee & Herald
Address: 200 N. Wilson St.
Jefferson, IA 50129

Phone:(515) 386-4161