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When we still lived in a small town, my wife and I would sometimes walk the half-mile to the high school to catch the latest drama production, or to hear an orchestra concert. These performances were often free (or at least very cheap), and could be just as entertaining as driving into Portland for a night on the town.
During the summer our town hosted a music festival in the park on Sunday evenings. A new band would come to play each week from late June to early August. Local restaurants set up booths to sell sausages and tacos and lemonade. This was a fine way to end the weekend, listening to music and building social capital while mingling with friends and neighbors.
Three years ago we moved away from that small town and closer to Portland. We haven’t yet discovered the community arts programs in our area, though we’ve ventured afield to see some performances.
One of Kris’ co-workers is a member of the Gresham Little Theater, which is housed in a grange hall. Its productions are wholly amateur, but I love them. Portland’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral features a renowned choir that offers performances to the public. (One need not be religious to appreciate the beauty of this music.)
These small, local entertainments are inexpensive. By attending such events we are supporting the efforts of our friends and neighbors. And, to be honest, I really do enjoy these productions more than I do the typical Hollywood blockbuster.
Kris and I went to see our first opera last spring. We paid $150 for tickets plus $50 for a meal before the show. We also had to pay for parking. While we were glad to have been to the opera once, I would have much rather gone to the local high school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof”, which would have cost us $8 for tickets and $2 for Rice Krispie treats at intermission.
This article is about Frugality, Real-Life Wednesday, 24th January 2007 (by J.D. Roth)
January 24th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Most of these events are free and open to the public (quick tip: generally, the lectures in Kaul Auditorium are the best ones).
January 24th, 2007 at 11:54 am
The comment I just left didn’t show up, I think–if it did and I’m somehow missing it, feel free to delete this–but I wanted to tip you off to this events calendar. Most of these events are free and open to the public. (The best lectures, generally, are the ones that take place in Kaul Auditorium.)
January 24th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Spot on! Let the community calendar be your entertainment schedule! In a town near ours, during the spring, summer, and fall, there is a free bandshell concert on Tuesday evenings. We take our kid there, spread out a blanket, have a picnic, and enjoy the music. Our only cost is about a gallon of gas and the cost of whatever food we bring from home. Pretty good for an evening’s entertainment /and/ a meal.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Major props for the Guys and Dolls picture! =)
January 24th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
English Major, I’m not sure what’s going on with the spamfilter today. At first it was letting *everything* through, which made a behind-the-scenes mess. Now it’s been tightened down so that there are a lot of false positives. Things seem to be okay now, though.
January 24th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
While community arts programs are fantastic, and should be given as much support as you’re able, there really isn’t a direct comparison between something like a high school production, and a full scale professional opera.
To torture an analogy, it’s like the difference between cash in your wallet, and a 401(k). They’re both your money, but they fill very different roles in your life. From someone who’s put food on my table with both ends of the theatrical spectrum, there is a vast difference. Small theaters are fed and kept alive by the audience, which allows the artists to develop themselves and the art. The large theaters return that art to the community in it’s peak form. We need both I think, but the reasons are different.
January 24th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
The only thing better than watching community theater or music groups is being in one yourself!
Lots of fun and personal growth, for relatively little investment (maybe a costume? Or the price of an instrument, which you probably already have if you play…). And think of how much time you *won’t* be out spending money when you’re at rehearsal!
January 24th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Exactly. I went to see a local high school production of “Urinetown”, a hit musical. It cost my boyfriend and I a total of 12 bucks plus 4 dollars for two waters. It was a great production, and I dunno how much it would have cost me to see an off-broadway production.
January 25th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I think we should all start our own Guerrilla Drive In.
So subversive.
So filmy.
So good.
January 25th, 2007 at 8:47 am
I have to agree, guardedly, with morydd- community arts programs often torture their media (the music or script being presented) into a barely-recognizable form during performance. High-end professional performances USUALLY provide a level of pleasure and inspiration far beyond what can be gleaned from the local efforts.
But the joy of seeing your local pastor/sullen teen/state senator onstage as a principal trumpet player or murderous gangster or tragic lover cannot be rivaled by your professional group. Even when the production is terrible, if you’re willing to find the fun in a fiasco, ecstasy is at hand.