Newburyport Firehouse - An Afternoon of Arthur Miller

My theater history professor once said, in a lecture, "Theater can be performed anywhere." I soulfully and wholeheartedly agree with that statement. With that said, I add my own statement to piggy-bag off of that statement, "Theater can be performed by anyone." Every piece of live theater doesn't have to be performed by young, up-and-coming, actors and singers between the ages of 17 to 45. Children still in their single digits can still perform and even elderly adults can still perform. I learned that statement a long time ago, but was reminded of it today.
Today was the one day only that the Newburyport Firehouse Senior Readers performed, "An Afternoon of Arthur Miller," a stage read compilation of several scenes from some of the author's best works. Such classics like; The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, A View From the Bridge, After the Fall, Broken Glass, I Can't Remember Anything, and The Last Yankee. The stage readings of these plays were segmented by certain scenes. Each play would only be performed in two scenes. Some of the actors who read through performed in more than one scene, sometimes right after another.
The Firehouse Senior Readers is a live stage reading group of individuals at age 55 and older, where their performers can sit comfortably on stage with the script in front of them with no memorization or acting experience required. The group meets for classes on Tuesdays for seven weeks and performs not only at the Newburyport Firehouse, but at Senior Centers and Assisted Living Centers as well. The Senior Readers are also sponsored by The Firehouse, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Biolabs, and the Friendship Foundation. If you wish to see one of their performances or join their group, registar online at www.firehouse.org/srt.
I can easily say that I had a great time watching this. Not just because Arthur Miller is one of my favorite playwrights, but because of what was said in the opening curtain speech, by the group's instructor Charles Van Eman. He talked about how, after all the snow storms Massachusetts has been getting and all the classes they have had to cancel, the readers pulled through and made to the stage for their presentation. Those who remained with the group showed dedication to the show, and I applaud them for their determination and perseverance. This is one of the many reasons why I have so much love and respect for community theater. No matter how busy their lives and everyday routines might be, community actors, writers, directors, designers, and technicians will still show their dedication to their cause through the amount of how much work they put into it. As well as giving living proof of both my professor's lesson and mine; "Theater can be performed anywhere and theater can be performed by anyone."