The Passion Play

          Theatre and the arts have been a huge part of my life since I was young. Most people get the inspiration when they are younger to trying something new. For me, I had a crush on the boy in my class who did theatre. This caused me to submerge myself in everything theatre and performing arts I could, with the hope that I would get to be around the boy. Instead, I discovered my love for performing and being on stage. The rush you get from knowing that there are hundreds of people watching you and you not being able to see them. Never being able to be invisible.

I continued my learning through high school where I first experienced the lack of support and funding in the arts. We were given minimal amount of funding and support from the school and other faculty. We had to create our own options and make our own experiences with minimal supplies. Eventually, our theatre teacher was fired for not conforming to the conservative outlook of our community. We all thought, how could anyone get rid of someone who has such an open outlook on the arts and it bring all these wonderful ideas to kids who want to learn and widen their knowledge.

            Moving on to college, I thought that I would enter into a better program where money and support wouldn’t be an issue. Then budget cuts hit. Hard. Many of our great programs were diminished. We had to scrounge up what resources we could and you know what, our product was just as good or even better than before we lost our budget. Because it isn’t about how big you can make your set or what crazy special effects you use, its what you put into your art. Your passion, thoughts and love for the art. So now I don’t do theatre to impress that boy from my class, I do it because it makes me happy. Sets me free.

            Because of this, I have chosen to talk about and research theatre in the younger community. From elementary age through the fresh out of college crowd, because the arts are important, and they are slipping away. People outside of the  art world might not see it, but someday they will. When their children are in school and have no means of a release, no way to express themselves. We need to help keep the arts alive, even the puppet shows kids put on in their kindergarten class are just the beginning of something great.