By RUSTY BOWERS

Special to the Journal

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The show must go on.”  When it comes to volunteer-driven, non-profit community theater that is especially true.  

The Vista Theater in Negaunee, which the Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council recently sold to the city of Negaunee for $1, is a great example of the struggles behind that phrase.

I have intimate knowledge of that situation, as I have been the president of the PAAC executive board since 2018 and have worked in theater and performances of all types in Marquette County my entire adult life, so to say it’s close to my heart would be an understatement.

But what do organizations that produce community theater actually do? Theatrical expression is an ancient tradition and has taken on countless forms and purposes throughout history, according to an article from the journal Psychiatry Online.

“Community-based theater is a form of sociopolitical theater that takes a critical position toward social issues, often focuses on creating original works, aims to raise awareness and works to alleviate social frustrations and conflict,” the article states.

Community theater provides opportunities for people of all ages to express themselves through art.

 The American Association of Community Theatre says these organizations produce more live performances than any other performing art in the country.

“In many areas of the country, especially away from large cities, community theatres provide the only performing arts entertainment and active participation for residents,” the website states. “We impact people’s lives in many ways, every day.”

These nonprofits contribute to the health of a local economy as well.  According to the Theatre Communications Group, nonprofit community theater contributed $2.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2019.  The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on live performances but by the end of 2022, not-for-profit theaters were coming back — contributing $2.3 billion to the U.S. economy, TCG says.

Here in Marquette County, despite the pandemic, community theater is alive and well. Superior Arts Youth Theatre just concluded a successful production of “Junie B. Jones, Jr.” and PAAC produced “Heathers” –its first show under the name of IronArts Theatre in May.

Lake Superior Theatre has been successfully producing shows for 26 seasons now in Marquette. Lake Superior provides a beautiful backdrop for the converted boathouse. The venue is wrapping up a successful production of “Once: The Musical” The musical — based on the 2007 film “Once” tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant who are drawn together by their shared love of music. As a result, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story.

I saw the closing performance of this show in Marquette. The cast was a tight ensemble that worked so well together, from the musicians that stayed on stage and participated in the show the whole time, to the cast and crew. They all told a touching story of love and commitment. This cast obviously worked so hard to bring this story to life and they did a marvelous job. The music was fun and the performances were so strong. And it was the director’s first time producing a full show, so bravo to Rain Hintz. I felt so lucky to have such talent in the town I call home.

After the performance, I spoke with Faye Elder, a featured player in “Once: the Musical.” I asked about her thoughts of performing in local theater. This is what she told me:

“Keeping community theater alive in today’s cell phone culture of physical disconnect from each other, now more than ever, intimate connections are essential. With live theater no one is hiding from their keyboard or behind a screen. The numbers of youth theater program participants in Marquette County support the importance of our responsibility to provide venues to perform in and sustain. The theater community is a healthy environment of inclusion, self-expression, support and the development of valuable nonvirtual friendships.”

I asked a longtime mentor of mine her thoughts on community theater and its importance.

Shelley Russell, retired NMU theater professor said “The arts answer the question, ‘Who are we?’ When a society struggles, theatrer survives, there to remind us who we are, what we aspire to, what we love. Our community theater is the voice of our families, our friends, our singularly Upper Peninsula way of life. For several decades now, our local theater voice has celebrated our identity and inspired our youth, joyfully reminding us that we are not alone at this challenging time.”

A big thank you goes out to all those who produce, participate and support local theater. I myself owe a great debt to those who trained me and nurtured my love for the arts. I don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing without the wealth of knowledge and experiences I have had working in local theater. If you have the chance, look into what is going on around you in local theater. Audition, work backstage or simply buy a ticket and enjoy the love and hard work that go into this fine art.

Rusty Bowers is a graduate of NMU’s Theatre Department and the President of the Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council.