It did not star a spoiled, rehab-bound, pompous, over-rated, smart ass of an actor who has no connection with me or my everyday reality.
This show featured extremely talented and dedicated performers from my own community of family, friends and neighbors.
The venue was a local theater whose very existence is built upon devoted volunteers and monetary donations again from the ranks of my own community of family, friends and neighbors.
Tonight, this "community" theater was packed with many family, friends and neighbors of this community making up a happy, attentive and appreciative audience.
As I waited for the curtains to open I listened to the melody of human interaction. Pockets of laughter and the buzz of human conversation filled the rows of happy, well groomed and well attired theater goers.
The show was full of song, dance and merriment. All performed by local musicians, actors, singers and dancers. I was serenaded by performers every bit as talented as those Hollywood ne'er-do-wells. And all gleaned from (you guessed it) our own ranks of family, friends and neighbors.
A true community event. A shared experience, delightful in every aspect. It gave me pause to be thankful for all the wonderful people that make up my personal world.
As the lights dimmed and the show began, a warmth of family draped the theater. The cast, crew and audience may have been made up of strangers, but they were strangers you cared about. Strangers very much like yourself. We applauded, laughed and were moved by the same emotions. We were sharing a an experience never to be exactly duplicated. It was lovely. Nothing was canned, from the first song to the final bow, we were sharing the uniqueness of a live performance.
As I was driving home from the theater (sounds so sophisticated) I was happy that tonight I chose not to sit in front of that black box of acid-tongued talking pumpkin heads, re-hashed leftover crime dramas and brainless unfunny sitcoms.
In a world that seems at times to be sliding away, becoming more intimidating by the day, filled with negative attitude and feelings of detachment and confusion, live theater is a hold out of sorts. A refuge for the human experience. Live theater allows us to share emotion as a community of family, friends and neighbors. All ages, backgrounds and lifestyles sitting side by side in a darkened and intimate location, all waiting with the same expectation of something exciting about to happen.
I urge everyone who feels worn out and abused by the drip, drip, drip of Hollywood to visit your community theater. The talent will impress you, the ambiance will soothe you and the camaraderie of the audience will reassure you of the strength and wonder of your own family, friends and neighbors.
After all, life should be a cabaret.
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