For my Individual Diversity Involvement assignment, I decided to see Arsenic and Old Lace at the Troy Civic Theater. The theater, run by the public, is a great example of a community coming together for entertainment and socialization. The performers ranged from a young age of nineteen to, what I venture to guess, around seventy-five. The show was the first play of their 50th season, and was chosen along with the other plays and musicals that will be shown during the season by a board of directors at the beginning of each season. The people involved with performances including the actors, directors, managers, and set members are not reimbursed for their time or performances. Although, each year there is an …show more content…
The play Arsenic and Old Lace, taking place late on a Friday night, was a fun and entertaining spectacle. The performances were convincing and everything ran smoothly. One of the cast members, the oldest in the play, aging around seventy-five, was included in the play, even as her health caused problems in the memorization of her lines and her blocking, where she is meant to stand and face. Despite this, the community accepted her performance and applauded her, specifically, at the end of the performance. This woman has been a part of the Troy Civic Theater for over thirty years, so it was nice to see the audience, the theater, and the community in its entirety accept her. Because of this, I perceived the event as accepting of anyone who wishes to participate, young or old. Also during the event, I noticed that, like a new member in an early morning Sunday church service, people took the time to talk to new faces. They chattered about before the play began, and during intermission, they spoke highly of the performers and shook hands with everyone new. For this reason, more than anything, I would say that my perception of the even was welcoming.
What did I learn from the event that I did not know