By Paige Miglio
The Arts Scene
Paige Miglio
There are well over 100 groups and spaces that support and present community theater throughout Connecticut. Given that we’re situated between New York and Boston, is it any wonder?
Just what is community theater? Simply put, it is not professional (paid). Most everyone involved in the physical production is a volunteer. They have day jobs and careers. Yet once or twice (or more) every year they set aside a couple of months’ worth of nights and weekends to submit plays to direct, venture out for auditions to act, volunteer to run sound/lights/props, to create sets and costumes.
They do it to feed their passion, to feel part of a tight group that has one another’s backs, to become a community of one.
The Milford Arts Council is home to not one but two theater groups: its own EastBound Theatre and Pantochino Productions (a separate nonprofit, professional theater that rents the MAC). I invited both groups to speak on behalf of their perspectives of local and community theater.
“It should not be overlooked that all theater – the work of creating it and the work created – share much in common, because theater is about all of us,” said Nancy Herman, chair of the MAC’s Eastbound Theater. “It is at one and the same time highly personal, providing us with unique and various perspectives and points of view, but also communal, as we share in the experiences it provides. It is intellectual and provocative, asking us to think about the human condition with all of its contradictions and ambiguity, but it is also emotional, reminding us in so many ways of our shared humanity.”
“Theater – both the product and the process of creating it – can bring about all kinds of opportunities for audience members and theater artists alike,” Herman said. “It engenders self-reflection and self-improvement, and it can promote self-expression and self-confidence while teaching cooperation and collaboration.”
People who love theater, love theater. They will search out local and community theater and they will plan excursions to the city to see professional theater. Either way, theater audiences are in themselves a community. They sit in their seats pouring over the program reading the director, author and actor bios, flipping through the ads and promotions. They excitedly chat about the last play they saw, and the reviews of the play they are about to see – until the lights go down. And in that moment, they are one, in the dark, waiting for the curtain to rise.
“I was 13 years old when I truly discovered theater,” recalled Bert Bernardi, co-producer of Pantochino Productions. “I understood it was not only something I loved, musical theater especially, but it was an option for a career. There was little opportunity in my area for a young person to participate in or learn about theater. But when I was 16, a new community theater was formed in my town—too good to be true! I was lucky enough to be cast in a production of ‘You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.’ It was all adults, and me. Working with these actors and directors – I was in heaven. This was an amazing opportunity to explore and do what I loved – perform, sing, dance. This single experience in community theater solidified my desire to have a life in the theater. To be able to share my passion with young people, and give them what I so wanted.”
The experience of the theatrical troupe of cast and crew becomes a shared experience with the audience. It is an embrace, an invitation to join their intimate community. The warmth of that shared experience crosses the divide of stage and seats. The space between becomes electric.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to connect with the community than creating a show about the community itself,” Bernardi said. “In Milford, everyone knows Charles Island or has a personal memory about the storied island. ‘Checking in on Charles’ hit all the buttons. It was filled with history, local interest and lots of laughter. Not only did the community come out to see it, but the City of Milford agreed to be lead sponsor for the production.”
“Pantochino’s slogan is ‘ridiculously entertaining,’ and that’s something that sets us apart. In the cozy confines of the MAC, the entertainment value is huge. Crisp, bright productions with bold choices, fantastic sets and costumes and top-notch performances,” Bernardi added. “Whether we’re presenting something as silly as our Panto ‘Pirate Schmirate’ or something more thoughtful and moving like our recent ‘As Long As We’re Talking,’ when audiences come to a Pantochino production, they can expect to be entertained, ridiculously.”
Herman recalled a conversation with an actor in one of their recent productions who advised not to call Eastbound Theatre a “community theater,” as it implied that the production was “less than” theater created by those who make a living at it.
“As someone who is intimately involved with community theater, I wonder, might community theater be ‘less’?” Herman said. “Less what? Less profitable? Certainly. Less polished? Maybe. Less…professional? Well, yes. It’s not professional theater. It’s theater created by those who do it for enjoyment, and not as a job. But does that make it less valuable? Less important? Less meaningful?”
“Rest assured, I love going to see professional theater and I do it as often as I can,” Herman continued. “But I also love and honor community theater, which can provide opportunities to anyone who has an interest, is willing to take the chance, make the commitment and join the fun. For people young and old, community theater can be the vehicle that provides an outlet for creativity and artistic expression. And let us not overlook the social, entertainment and educational values that live theater can provide, as it motivates the participants and audience alike to engage in the world and maybe make the world a better place, one community at a time.”
Eastbound Theatre offers three diverse theatrical productions that span the gamut of genres, periods and styles. They also support new works with their EastWest PlayFest with original one-acts each summer, and a new program, Plays-in-Development.
Pantochino Productions offers three original musical productions, two teen theater productions, in-school productions, and the MAC’s summer theater camp.
Paige Miglio is the Executive Director of the Milford Arts Council, celebrating 50 years of service in 2022 supporting and presenting all genres of art to the greater Milford Community. Visit milfordarts.org for information on the MAC, and send your events in the arts (include dates and details) to executivedirector@milfordarts.org.