This weekend, students at Southwestern Michigan College will take the stage to perform the dramatic thriller, “Wait Until Dark.”

The cast, a mix of college students from all over Michiana, has been working on the production for several weeks preparing for the shows that we encourage as many people as possible to attend this weekend.

In general, community theater is a great asset to any community. A form of art that requires collaboration and an immense amount of teamwork, theater productions offer an excellent example for everyone that if you work together, great things can happen.

Community theater participants volunteer countless hours of their time practicing lines, creating sets, learning music, perfecting lighting, selecting costumes and practicing scenes. Through plays and musicals, cast and crew members are able to use skills that they likely don’t get a chance to use elsewhere — or, in some cases, they are able to use skills they have in a unique way to benefit the show.

Student productions like the one being performed at SMC this weekend offer an outlet for theater majors to practice the skills they hope to use in their careers, but students focused on other careers have plenty to gain as well.

In addition to the entertainment it provides for audiences, theater provides invaluable life skills for those who participate. Students who participate in theater reportedly do better on standardized tests because they learn critical thinking skills, practice memorization and tend to be quick on their feet when it comes to problem solving.

Theater provides a great emotional release, an abundance of physical activity and, perhaps most importantly, a fun way to embrace the college experience.

Without the community a theater serves, the show cannot go on. Ticket sales are used to raise funds for theater productions, so community support is so important in order for students to continue having the opportunity.

So if you have the time this weekend, why not go see a show? Help a good cause and get some inexpensive quality entertainment while you’re at it.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.