Post #898. Local Theater

All things considered, we live in a small town that has taken more than its share of criticism over the years by its neighboring communities.

It's not easy being a town that for 76 years held one of the oldest and most prestigious facilities of the United States Air Force.

The base closed three years before we moved here and quite honestly, not coming from a military background, I had no knowledge of its previous existence.

To me, it was simply a town, a stepping stone to be closer to my parents, who then lived an hour further away from here. We literally did a hat-draw of sorts for job applications and this is simply the town where the employment brought us.

Even though Sarah was six-months-old at the time, we didn't research schools or anything else like so many people do. Instead, we simply sought out economical housing and a job. 

Even for all of its issues (like all towns have by the way!), it's been our home for 15 years and as much as I gripe about certain things sometimes, I still like living here, far away from the rat race of Chicago, downstate where all there seems to be sometimes is the earth and sky. Truthfully, there's so much more than that and our local theater group reminds me of some of those sweet things about living small.

It's a place where everyone has an opportunity to be involved if they want to. The Theater Group, though noted for many quality performances, is not one of those elite groups that turns its nose up on the amateur.

Instead, it's a place where the youth of the community can come together at various productions and hone their performance skills, their public speaking ability, build confidence, and hopefully make some new friends along the way; all for free.

As much as Sarah has always been a performer - singing, dancing and other dramatics at home - she has been reluctant to get involved with the theater at school and within the community. My efforts to encourage that involvement are always useless and rightfully so, because in my mind, someone should only get involved in something if they personally want to be involved in it.

As much as I always loved the theater and performance singing, I know that I can't live my life through her and she will make her own choices.

But as her best friend is actively involved in many of the theater group performances, Sarah too started to tag along and participated in the summer talent show, involving weeks of practices.

This fall when the Christmas production rehearsals began, Sarah didn't try out, but yet she went along to the rehearsals again, using her photography skills to capture one evening of rehearsal that the Director posted on the group's website, crediting her.

The next thing I know, she's been worked into the production - not the play portion, but singing a duet with her best friend at the end of one of the intermissions before the next scene. 

I never thought I'd see my girl in footie-pajamas again. They're wearing those for their performance of a song from the Polar Express (When Christmas Comes to Town), where the children are of course in their pajamas. ☺  (That's not one of Sarah's photos, by the way - blurry, so might have been on a phone camera)

It's moments like these when I feel grateful to live where we live. A place with no pretense; except on stage of course.

Aesop's Fables & A Christmas Surprise
Rantoul Theatre Group
Dec 2-3, 9-10 8 pm
Dec 4, 11 2 pm
Adults $10 Seniors $7
($2 discount coupon available on their Facebook page)
Great video about the production featured on the WCIA news page:  Click here