Q: How can I get actively involved with the theater in terms of acting or directing? 

A: All you need to do is contact the Artistic Director by phone or email and request to get involved. You will then be sent the information of all upcoming shows which are looking for participants. In terms of directing a show, you’ll need to contact the Artistic Director some time in advance, as we try to have the schedule ready one year ahead of time. In general we are open to accepting everybody and having as many people involved with the theater as we can. However we maintain a level of quality theater which can be enjoyed by everybody in an open atmosphere. Auditions are always open to the public and we do not pre-cast any of the parts. Directing shows is a little bit different in that an aspiring director will need to meet with the Artistic Director and present the show and an idea of how they would like to direct it, as well as timetable and a basic budgetary outline. The Artistic Director will then make the decision of which plays get put on and which plays will not based upon schedule availability and theatrical quality.

 

 

Q: Can I get involved in other things in the Theater? 

A: Most definitely. The theater is always looking for sound and lighting people, backstage crew and managers, and many other volunteers in a wide range of roles from building and painting sets to helping out with advertising and just setting things up. It’s also a fun place to come and hang out every now and then. We try to provide a warm atmosphere for everyone from all backgrounds.

 

 

Q: I have no theater experience but would like to get involved, can I do this and should I do it at Center Stage? 

A: Where there’s a will, we’ll find a way. If a person wants to get involved and begin gaining experience in the world of theater then Center Stage is the perfect place as we are dedicated to creating quality shows and involving the community as much as possible. We take all ranges of actors and actresses and have them working together to create a mix which not only makes quality theater because everyone is dedicated to the shows, but also builds friendships, and sometimes even relationships in a romantic sense, of people who have met in the theater.

 

 

Q: If you have people from all over and people who have no background in theater working on the shows, how can you guarantee their quality? 

A: One of the things that we believe differentiates professional theater from amateur theater is the sense of camaraderie and mutual purpose which is the life blood of amateur theater. Whereas in professional theater there is a lot of competition and cut-throat gain in auditions or in achieving positions on the crew and getting paid for it, in amateur theater there is a lot of heart and dedication to the show as an individual’s goal and as a group goal. This invites actors and crew to want to help each other make the show and production experience as easy and enjoyable for everyone as possible. It even happens that a quality actor, if not a team player will be passed over in auditions by a director in order to take someone who is a team player as it will in the end bring more heart to the show than a better actor.

We find that as a team the production crew and actors working together can work even better despite the fact that they may not be as experienced as professional crews or actors, if indeed those professional crews are run by ego and individualist goals. I believe that it is a completely different experience when working with an amateur theater than with a professional one, and a far more enjoyable experience for the cast and crew, and one that due to the devotion which they show, comes out as quality theater with a lot of fun added on.

 

 

A: The shows are always changing. Often the shows are the choice of directors who are interested in doing a specific show, and sometimes they are chosen by the Artistic Director and then put on. In general we try to do shows that speak to the community and either entertain or challenge them. We have performed the works of many different modern and classical author’s, and occasionally, as in a director’s showcase, we put numerous productions on in one performance. It has been our custom to do a Shakespearean play once a year usually in the early summer, and occasionally we do a musical, but not more than one a season. Mostly, we like to put on shows that don’t necessarily have a voice in other places in Jerusalem, and while some are mainstream shows such as “The Importance of Being Earnest”, some definitely fall into the range of a bit more odd such as “Dentity Crisis”. Our main goal is to put on quality theater and have fun doing it.