“Little Theater
A “little” theater experience looms large in my life.
It all happened many years ago in Radford, Virginia where a group of people
interested in doing plays got together and formed a “Little Theater” group to produce
plays locally. I don’t recall if we did that before or after Robert Porterfield’s “Barter Theater
”found marked success not too far away in Abingdon, Va. southwest on Route 11 toward
Bristol, Va-Tn. I am sure we were influenced by the Barter Players in one way or another
because that was a primary dramatic event of our era.
Our group lasted about three or four years, I’d say, as members moved away, grew
up, found employment elsewhere - not an uncommon reason for change in those
Depression and Post-Depression years. Some areas recovered faster than others, so young
people, in particular, moved where the jobs seemed to be more plentiful. Oldsters were
more “sot” in their ways and not quite so ready for change.
We had oldsters in our group, too. By that I do not mean “old” in the sense of years,
necessarily, but older and more mature than those found in many such groups. I have
long held the view that they brought a sense of maturity to the venture which t would
not have had, otherwise. Such groups have a tendency to wax and wane, and I would
imagine the Radford “Little Theater” has been resurrected several times during the
intervening years since my experiences there.
I often think of what being in those plays meant to me later on. They gave me new
confidence in myself, for one thing, even though I never played anything more than
supporting characters. I came to know the “feel” of working before audiences and in a
special way, too, because the old Colonial Theater, in which we did all of our plays, was
build for theater use rather than for motion pictures. There was a real stage, elaborate
though somewhat worn curtains, four imposing boxes - two on each side of the stage, a
balcony and stage equipment albeit of another time, plus dressing rooms. It was not, of
course, in the best of condition, but few old theaters were or are even today. It was an
“authentic” setting for young drama students and I remember so much of it in bits and
pieces and usually as a good , warm feeling. It had enough of yesteryears about it to
encourage anyone who has a dramatic flare at all, to join such a group as ours.
It provided a testing ground for things in which we believed, or thought we did at
the time. We learned much about living there, too, as we pretended to be someone we
were not as a character in a play. You discovered how to make it all seem real enough so
that other people, paying customers, would accept it as such. What better way to study
of those elements which make people tick? For a time, you are that person you
pretended to be - real or fictional - and you come away from such a week of doing that
character over-and-over again, you will find that you, yourself, have changed.
We did all plays for one full week, which is unusual, or was, then. Most groups did a
play one night and that was it We did three per year and a set of three One Act plays in
mid-summer to give everybody a chance at playing lead stronger roles. Every member
did not act in every play. We were a large enough group so the many off-stage jobs -
lights, sound, props, makeup, tickets sales, advertising and promotion and other such
chores were assigned. You learned from that ,too, that theater was not such a glamorous
thing after all.
Doing those plays meant so much to us that I can recall characters becoming - for
a time - the person they were pretending to be. I can remember how lovers on stage
actually came to feel something special for each other, how people who were detested
in their stage role because somewhat like that in group relationships, and right on through
the list: silly on stage - silly in real life; sad...suspicious...sly...cocky...downright mean. Of
course, when the one month of rehearsals started for the next play, all that would fade
away as you tried on a new emotional wardrobe.
I have always been glad I did not get shifted into the theatrical life completely,
however. I never really had enough of that inner talent that develops into excellence in
the theater. I also have observed one had to become especially good at what he or she
did because there is only one person in this world who is more miserable than more
miserable than a theatrical “has been” and that is a “never was!”
A.L.M. July 12, 2002 [c819wds]
