politics - noun - the process of making decisions in groups involving the distribution of power, resources, and status; the maneuvering for influence within an organization (Merriam - Webster).
Say what you will. Politics is inherent in every human organization on the planet. You get x-amount of people together anywhere, anytime, or for any reason, and there will be a power play, someone grabbing for leadership. And when said person achieves power within the group (or who already has control), there will be favoritism. Some will win; some will lose. If you don't like it, you know where the door is.
Community theater is not immune to the aforementioned. In fact, politics in the production of plays is rife. I can't blame anyone in particular, just human nature. As an actor who has performed gratis or for a semblance of a paycheck, I have walked in and out of community theaters. I don't know about you, but I despise politics in all of its many forms simply because I don't like cliques or popularity contests. I believe in equity, good ole fairness, something that has gone out of fashion of late along with me as an actor. I audition (when given a chance), garner a part (usually one that no one else wants to play or can play), make my mark (or I think I do), and turn out to be the woman, not for all seasons, but for only one or two. It's not because I don't do the job well. I do. It is because there are actors in the troupe who are younger and prettier than I am of late, those whom the director favors. Granted, I used to have the same effect on directors, usually the men. In college, I fell into the elite theatrical clique and found myself being pre-cast, cast, and recast over and over again. But life is a balance. Isn't it? I should be glad I had been given a slice of the pie fifty years ago.
Nowadays, I am finding that the competition to fit in anywhere in the community theater realm is too fierce to tolerate. Here in Los Angeles, the traditional politics has continued and is perpetuated. I have found that some amateur and professional theater companies alike tend to be on the cultish side in that there is the director (or president), usually the founder of the company, who calls all of the shots. The minions kowtow to him or her in all cases as they want to keep being involved in the productions. If you don't fall into favor with the Grand Poohba, you fall out of favor, meaning the auditions cease to be publicly announced, and you are left out of the mix as the same actors keep getting contacted and cast. A public company soon becomes a repertory one, meaning a closed organization. End of story. Unfortunately, I've see it over and over again.
Another thing that seems to be on the inequitable side is that actors who will never get paid are treated as though they should be paid. Which means that even if you are planning to audition for a community theater production, you have to be prepared to present a head shot, resume, and two monologues. Huh? What happened to reading from the sides? In addition, the rehearsal schedules are exhausting. Actors, who usually have day jobs or who attend school, are required to rehearse about 25 hours a week. I have been told that in L.A., there are so many actors vying for the golden ring, that community theaters have become showcases that agents attend looking for random talent. When this happens, all of the fun gets torn to shreds, sucked up, and diffused somewhere beyond the proscenium arches and the fourth wall. Amateur theater becomes professional sans monetary compensation.
A word to the wise: all of the above is not meant to discourage those of you who wish to participate in community theater. My purpose is just to be real and to present the truth of the matter. No matter what you do, you'll wind up contending with politics. It is just part of life. Being prepared in advance might make the inevitable a bit more palatable. Your passion for theater of this kind will have to keep you hungry.
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