Saving the Wollaston Theater.
Now, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about (which is probably a vast majority of you), the Wolly Theater is an old movie theater, dating back to 1926, that is in my neighborhood. The precious theater has switched hands and ownership many times, and it is currently under the possession of a private owner, who has made plans to tear it down. He intends to completely demolish the old building, because, he claims, there is no use for it. Nothing is going on inside of it, what's the point of keeping it open? Well, let me tell you why our town needs a local theater and why we need to put it to good use instead of tearing it down. //
Simply put, theatre saves lives (or at least, it saved mine). If I didn't have the performing arts, I'd probably be a very different person than I am today. I wouldn't be confident. I wouldn't be proud. I wouldn't be able to love myself and appreciate all the beauty in life that I do. See, for me (an extroverted but painfully awkward & socially anxious person), theatre is an outlet. It's a way for me to put myself out there without really doing so. When I put on that makeup and that costume, and stand under the bright lights of the stage, I become a character. I am no longer me, but I am this other unique person, with their own thoughts and opinions. I am this new person, and I have the capacity and freedom to be whoever I want. No longer am I limited by the constraints that society has placed on me, or the reputation that I have to uphold for myself. In those moments, Emily Claire Barker does not exist.
I learn from these characters, and as I take on their life, even if it is temporarily, I get to see things through their perspective. I begin to see the world with new morals and values and opinions in my mind. I learn from these characters' pasts, and I apply those lessons to my future. With each role I take on, I become a better person.
And there is something so magical and liberating about both of these facts. //
However, you don't necessarily have to be a performer to appreciate the fundamentally human need for the performing arts. Have you ever gone to see a film, and left the theater feeling touched? Have you ever seen a character, and watch them grow over the course of a movie, so that by the end, you're so emotionally invested in them that they feel like a friend? Is there a quote, or scene, that will stick with you for the rest of your life, because it's so relatable?
My guess is yes, you have. Because performance, whether it be live theatre, or action unfolding on the big screen, is a reflection of life. It connects us all. It teaches us all. And this art form is a necessary, fundamental part of being human. //
To some people, the Wollaston Theater may be a small, run-down, empty building that's ready to be torn down, but it's so much more than that. Take a stand for what you believe in, and always feul your passions. Some things are worth fighting for. //
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