Theater nerd?

Saturday night my mom and I went to a local musical theater production of The Wizard of  Oz. We were planning to go Friday night but things changed. Friday the whole town ended up having power issues resulting in rolling blackouts lasting an hour or more at a time. We didn't want to take the chance that the show would be canceled. As it was, we were at the theater about to buy tickets when the power went out again.  They weren't sure if the performance would be canceled or not. It ended up being cancelled. We found out later.

The performance went well. It was very enjoyable.

Yet it got me thinking about why I haven't been or wasn't more active in theater when I was younger.

There were a lot of children in this production being that The Wizard of Oz is more of a children's show. A lot of those children looked like they were having a good time and it took me back to my own childhood.

I asked my mom why she didn't tell me to go after theater more when I was a kid. She said, I didn't seem all that interested.

It's certainly interesting because my brother was a theater person. He's the one who loved it. I guess I figured I would like it too.

I wish I did do more theater though. That maybe I'd become more interested in it.

That's not to say I was never interested nor that I've never done theater before.

I haven't done any really big productions before though. Not something like the Music Theater or even the Community College productions.

I have done some theater though. Back in 5th grade, I was in my Elementary School's Drama Club. It was such fun. We had a couple of short skits/plays that we performed in a couple of club productions. The productions were a combination of various short skits with various performers. In at least two of those plays, I played a lead role. So I did have some lines to memorize.

I also did some performances way back when I was in Preschool/Daycare. In one of the plays, I played a Christmas Elf. In other performances at my daycare, I was Little Red Robin Hood and Cinderella. Why I was always the lead,  I don't really know but I was. Although, I don't remember any of the plays having speaking parts. I think we just acted out the story.

I was also in an American Girl club at the Local Public Library and we club members performed a play based on Josefina. I played Tia Magdalena. 

I was in Drama Club in 7th grade but we never ended up doing any performances or anything. Just basically met and had fun. Then in 9th and 10th grades, I took Theater I and Theater II as electives.

So as far as theater is concerned, I have dabbled in it and have enjoyed it.  I've certainly watched enough performances in my lifetime and still do. I enjoy theater, I really do.

However, I've never been part of any big productions such as the one I went to see on Saturday. I've considered auditioning and have even auditioned for some plays. But I've never made the list.

At least twice (might have been 3 times but I cannot remember), I auditioned for plays at the community college theater.  Out of the times I auditioned, only once did I get a callback. The first time I auditioned, I didn't even get a callback. I think it was for the play James and the Giant Peach. The play I got a callback on was for the play, Beezus and Ramona which was based on the Beverley Cleary books.  I remember going to see Winnie the Pooh but can't remember if I auditioned for the play. I want to say I did but I'm not sure.

As far as the Music Theater is concerned, I've never auditioned for it. I've certainly considered it and have even had the opportunity but just never really went for it.  I wonder what would have happened if I ever did.

The thing is that most of these plays end up have the same people cast. People that have been in plays before. Several plays in fact. They are veteran performers in other words. Whenever I would audition for plays, these people would always be there and because they are veterans, they'd always have more experience. Which wasn't fair for those of us newbies trying to get experience like them. The veterans typically would be cast before any of the newbies and usually for the best roles. The newbies got whatever was left.

I always thought this unfair since to become better performers, you have to get experience and how can someone like me get experience if I can never even get cast in something since all the people with experience get cast almost automatically.

I'm still interested in community theater and would still like to try it. Maybe I'd turn out to be lucky someday and actually be able to be in a production. However, so far, I haven't had much luck. 

I think I'm a bit of a theater nerd. Maybe theater just isn't my thing and I guess it really isn't. Still though, it would be fun to find out for sure.