Community Theatre Essay Example for Free

Community Theatre Essay Theatre is often regarded as a very effective medium in which to portray the challenges and triumphs of a community. Through stories, such as Marmalade Gumdrops, the importance of certain areas of life can be addressed, and by using both physical and visual representations, a community can both create and visualise how challenges can be triumphed. Throughout history, communities have banded together to create what is now known as community theatre. By using people from the community to create a play for the community, messages and contexts are clear to see. In the case of Marmalade Gumdrops, the play was not created by our community, but it was created for it. Having the importance of keeping your imagination laid out in a simplistic form such as in a child’s bedroom, people of all ages are able to bond and connect with it. Marmalade Gumdrops, is a play that carries a simple message, in a simple way. Using an open space with minimal props of bright primary colours, and having characters such as desks or a lamps, creates a known atmosphere; a comfortable place that the viewers all relate to. Using simple and sparse props, audiences can see the message that has been created for them. Showing the relationships that children create between themselves and the sanctuaries they live in, a bedroom, creates a vulnerable, malleable feel to the atmosphere as an audience watches this play. In the community that Mount Isa has, keeping imagination alive is a key issue, because of the way things work. With parents working long hours at the mines, and with not much to do, both kids and adults have to learn to use what we have. Marmalade Gumdrops uses realistic settings mixed with very unrealistic, extraordinary circumstances and events to broaden and awaken the minds of those who watch it. The relationship between a child and his books, is a rather important one to include within this play. The days of children getting lost in a good book are gone, but by having this connection to his bookcase (envisioning knowledge), this child has now created a world of his own. By having a chair that takes this child’s anger away, and a lamp that isn’t as bright as you would think, the audience can see that the child in the play is learning to teach with stories, and learning to control feelings, all by learning to imagine and let go. In community theatre, language is a key point when considering a story. Every word and every context given to the audience in Marmalade Gumdrops is easily understood by a child, and yet the subtext of some actions, such as the lamp blowing bubbles every time a new idea was formed, would be something that the adults would notice more than the children. The idea that â€Å"Imagination is like a marmalade gumdrop; once youve tasted it, youll never settle for just plain. â€Å"is such a simple and imaginative thing, and yet it is something that communities, particularly adults, forget. Whether it be because it’s just how things work, or because of influences, people forget what it is to be a kid, or just what it is to have an imagination. As the play progresses, audiences are subconsciously prompted to use their own imagination. As each new prop emerges or as a new scenario starts, the viewers start seeing things that could happen, or things that they themselves would do with what is shown on the stage. They start to want to bring everything to life the way that the characters do in the play. When the child, Walter, picks up an object out of the box, the entire cast on stage (the desk, the bed, the lamp etc) all lean in, and are excited to see what happens next. This in turn gets the viewers excited, and creates a longing to be imaginative. This in itself proves the fact that community theatre is an effective way to not only view, but create, triumphs. Every time Clair (the lamp) blows â€Å"thought† bubbles, and Winthrop (the chair) takes of his hat, audiences are awaiting a new adventure, and a new taste of something long forgotten. For the children in the audience, a sense of fun and excitement bubbles up. This play is a way of showing the children that having an imagination is ok. Having fun is not only ok, but that to have fun, you don’t even need much. With today’s society full of â€Å"I need† and â€Å"I want† when it comes to new fashions and toys, the natural response to imagination has become â€Å"that’s stupid†. Marmalade Gumdrops not only shows, but proves, that simple things in life count, and that things are never the same once you know how to imagine. By creating this play, Marmalade Gumdrops, Carol Lauck has shown the true meaning of imagination. The telling of so many stories all within one big story is such an effective way of grasping an audience’s attention. This is exactly what community theatre is all about. Using characterisation and relatable scenes, Carol has created an ideal way to show this community a message. It has shown us a challenge, and it has taught us how to beat it.

Empty Shoes: The Realization of Teenage Driving Accidents Essay

It is 2 a.m. when Kevin picks up the phone. On the other end, a voice tells him of an accident involving his daughter, Hailey. He and his wife jump out of bed and rush to the scene. Once they arrive, the officer tells them the news. A week later a funeral is held in remembrance of a precocious 16-year-old who was taken too soon. Months pass but the pain still lingers in Kevin’s heart. He decides to speak out at Hailey’s high school and inform the students of the dangers of teenage driving. When he is done speaking, a teacher comes up to him and thanks him for what he has done. She too has lost a child to teenage driving and has found it hard to deal with, even though it has been 5 years since the passing. Kevin then realizes there are other families who are grieving over the same situation. After he leaves the school, he calls his wife and tells her how they can help prevent teen deaths. They pack up their belongings and head out to inform various high school s of the increasing teen accident rates. During each presentation, Hailey’s shoes are brought out as a reminder of the results of her accident. When the presentation concludes, students are required to fill out a survey. As Kevin reads through them, satisfaction arises and he knows he and his wife have conquered what they set out to do. While driving is a privilege, teens often forget this and instead make senseless decisions, which ends up costing them their life or someone else’s. When a teen is finally able to acquire a driver’s license, they are overwhelmed. No more having to worry about their parents riding with them and critiquing their every move. But what actually happens when parents are taken out of the vehicle? According to the Iowa DOT, â€Å"Take m... ...i, Wendy. â€Å"Kyleigh’s Law: Does it protect or further endanger teen drivers?† 20 September 2010. Web. 6 December 2010. Clarridge, Christine. â€Å"When a Teen-Age Driver Gambles and Loses.† The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA). 7 May 2000: A1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 7 December 2010. â€Å"Increasing seat belt use among teens: A summary of research, resources, and programs.† April 2007. Web. 6 December 2010. â€Å"Teen Crash Facts.† Iowa Department of Transportation. 24 January 2008. Web. 4 December 2010. â€Å"Teen Driving Statistics.† Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. Web. 5 December 2010. â€Å"Teens speak out about driving under the influence of texts.† 12 March 2010. Web. 6 December 2010. â€Å"Prevent Teen Deaths from Motor Vehicle Crashes.† Iowa Health System. Web. 5 December 2010.

Problem solution essay about teenage pregnacy Essay

The teenage pregnancy rate for 1997 rose all the way up to 62.7 percent, this was the highest it has been in years! When I first saw this fact I knew something would have to be done about it. This high pregnancy rate in teenagers is in fact a major problem, because teenagers are not responsible enough to raise a baby. There are many possible solutions to prevent teenage pregnancy like discouraging early dating, abstinence, and using birth control and condoms. Although there are all these possible solutions the pregnancy rate is still very high. So we need to evaluate the possible solutions and pick the best one to grow on to help lower the teenage pregnancy rate. What has caused the teenage pregnancy rate to get so high? One reason for such a high rate is the solutions people suggest that teenagers use to prevent getting pregnant. Society tells teenagers over and over these solutions that are simply unacceptable to most teenagers. Also the lack of information on pregnancy also causes this higher rate, because teenage girls are not informed enough about how hard being pregnant really is. Most teenagers are smart enough to know that if they engage in having sexual intercourse they have the chance of getting pregnant. They do not realize how big of a life altering change having a baby is though. Possible solutions to help prevent pregnancy are discouraging early dating, abstinence, and using birth control and condoms. Although there are all these solutions not all of them are really reasonable to teenagers. Such as discouraging early dating, the reason this solution does not work is because if a parent tells their teenagers they cannot date they will still do it behind their back. And the reason that abstinence is really not a good solution is because sometime or another a teenager is going to try having sex no matter what their parents tell them. Abstinence is like telling a little kid not to try candy. Teenagers undergo too much peer pressure to avoid having intercourse one time or another through their teenage years. So really the only good solution to help prevent teenage pregnancy is using birth control and condoms. The reason this solution is better than the rest is because it takes away almost all the chance of becoming pregnant there is. Even if the teenager is having intercourse if the girl is taking birth  control and if the boy is using condoms there is a very little chance that becoming pregnant is possible. The way to get more teenagers using birth control and condoms is to inform them about how effective they really are and how well they will work for them if the decide on having sexual intercourse. Birth control is 98 percent effective and so are condoms, so putting the two protections together is highly effective. Teenagers need to know how easily they can become pregnant and they also need to know how hard having a baby would be. The solutions are not drastic. Discouraging early dating and abstinence are some solutions that are not highly effective and the main solution to help prevent pregnancy is using birth control and condoms as long as we get this solution out to the kids and inform them about these methods of protection. The pregnancy rate in teenagers is much to high so these solutions need to start being carried out so this rate is lowered drastically. Most teenagers really do not understand how big of a life change they will undergo if pregnancy enters their life.

Niccolo Paganini s The Piano And The Mandolin By The...

Niccolo Paganini was born in Genoa,Italy on October 27th, 1782. As a young boy, he was taught to play the violin and the mandolin by the elder Paganini, which played the mandolin and gained profit from doing so. As he grew up, he was somewhat of a prodigy. He displayed fascinating music talent and was also taught by the best teachers in Genoa. Given his talent with the violin, he could’ve became an inspiration. He was widely known because he was a travelling performer. Niccolo’s reputation was raised due to a concert within Europe. Not only did Niccolo play the violin, he also played many other instruments. Niccolo faced many illnesses, which later caused the death and health decline of Niccolo. Niccolo’s first break was a concert at La Scala in Milan. This concert was a success. From this, he attracted many other musicians within Europe. Some of Niccolo’s teachers in which are Ferdinando Paer and Gasparo Giretti, both had an influence on Niccolo. Although Niccolo’s school is unknown, he took violin classes under famous violinists. Niccolo’s skill with the violin earned him many scholarships. Niccolo’s parents were Antonio and Teresa Paganini. His non-legalized relationship was with Antonia Bianchi. She bore a son and his name was Achilles Cyrus Alexander. In 1805, Lucca was invaded by the Napoleonic French. From there the region was given to Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Baciocchi. Niccolo became a violinist in Baciocchi court. Niccolo was affected by many syndromes and