In a world where so much entertainment is consumed alone and on demand, live theatre remains one of the few shared experiences that requires presence, attention, and collective participation. It creates belonging not only among those on stage, but among everyone in the room.
“I realized as a woman how lucky I was. I was there when this wonderful person drifted into my world and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life thus far.” As Heather finished her audition for M'Lynn at a small community theatre in Thomasville, GA there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I was lucky enough to be able to cast her in that role, her first on stage role. Heather had always wanted to try drama but didn't have the opportunity in school. When her moment finally came she blew us all away! This is what community theatre is all about. You may arrive trained and ready or maybe you just decide to give it a shot in the midst of your busy life; but when you find the place where you belong it changes your life.
I have been involved in community theatre in some capacity for half my life. What first drew me in, and what continues to keep me engaged, is the spirit of collaboration: the process of working together to create something larger than any single person. Theatre is one of the few spaces where people of different ages, backgrounds, and skill levels come together with a shared purpose, each contribution essential to the final result.
At its core, drama requires at least two parties to exist: the performer and the audience. It is an art form rooted in relationship and exchange, and it cannot be practiced in isolation. In that way, theatre reflects a fundamental human need — the desire to connect, to be seen, and to belong. Across all ages, the process of creating theatre becomes an ongoing lesson in cooperation. For young performers, a first production may be their earliest experience with compromise, patience, and shared responsibility. For more seasoned ensembles, collaboration can be just as challenging; experience often comes with strong opinions and personal artistic visions. In both cases, respect for one another becomes essential. Theatre has been one of my greatest teachers in that regard, reinforcing the value of listening, humility, and mutual trust.
I have had the honor of directing many live productions, but my favorite place to be on opening night is not backstage or in the wings — it is in the light booth, behind the audience, where I can see the entire room at once. From that vantage point, I can watch the actors bring the story to life while observing the audience respond in real time, laughing, leaning forward, holding their breath. It becomes clear that something rare is taking place. That exact combination of cast, crew, and audience will never exist again. Each performance is fleeting, unrepeatable, extraordinary! Once I felt it for the first time I knew I wanted to continue to create spaces where anyone can feel that sense of belonging.
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There are many “origin” stories to the phrase “Break a leg!” but one we love suggests that it emerged in the early 20th century within the superstitious American theater community. Believing that wishing someone “good luck” would bring the opposite, performers adopted the phrase to reverse the jinx, hoping for a flawless performance.
Grab your friends or your kids and check out one of our favorite drama games!
Open Scene of the Month
*screenshot this and send to your favorite scene partner*
A Do it.
B I will.
A Do it.
B I will … it's just
A It's just what?
B It's not so simple.
A It's not so complicated either.
B Why don't you do it?
A I would!
B Then do it!
A I would....
B But?
A It has to be you, doesn't it?
B You're right.
A I'm sorry.
B Just give me a minute.
A Take all the time you need.
B Thanks.
A But do it soon.
B I will.
At CoCreated we love a good open scene! An open scene gives us the opportunity to fill in the who, what, when, where, and why of the story. It can come to life in so many different ways depending on the actors involved.
We recommend finding a scene partner (or two, with person C having the extra challenge of being in the scene with no lines!) and reading the script aloud together. Then determine the given circumstances and try reading it again. See what happens after a few run-throughs, adding in some blocking and pantomime. Have fun and don't forget the power of a dramatic pause!
CoCreated Is Committed to Strengthening The Local Theatre Community
While I recognize the vast amount of theatre in Central Oregon, I have decided to bring my passion for community to life in the form of drama clubs for all ages. Drama club brings the education side of this art form downstage center. We want to help build a foundation for our students to prepare them for performance opportunities.
If you were to pop into any one of our drama clubs, whether it's for ages 4-6 or 75-100, you will see us using exercises from The Viewpoints, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, and more. Drama club is the place where our imagination can run wild! We practice and play in the world of storytelling without the pressure of memorizing a script or blocking. CoCreated partners with Bend Parks and Rec for our students ages 4-15. We also host The Drama Gym, which is drama club for older teens and adults (16+) and we offer private classes for our homeschool, charter schools, and assisted living partnerships.
Since performing is an important piece of this art form, the drama club classes present a collaborative showcase in the fall and spring. Follow us on social media if you would like to be part of what we are doing locally!
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