I spent three hours yesterday with a bunch of amateurs. Sweaty, nervous amateurs. Not a single SAG, AFTRA or AEA card in the bunch. And the craft service table featured only bananas and cheese sticks.
It was awesome.
Yesterday was the first round of auditions for my school's fall play. Forty kids showed up. These are students with very full lives. They have family obligations, sports practices, demanding classes and lots and lots and lots of homework. But they are at this audition for one reason only. They are amateurs.
Amateur in the true etymological sense of the word; a person who does something for love. These young amateurs arrive at this audition with varying degrees of experience, confidence and training. They are all over the developmental map. But the one thing they all have in common is love: a love for theatre, a love for making music, a love for dancing. They exude joy.
As Teaching Artists, we strive to instill in our students a level of professionalism, a respect for our individual artistic disciplines, and a tangible toolbox full of skills for their own artistic journey. And yet, as we impart the values of professionalism, let us be careful to leave their love of the art intact. Let them remain amateurs; let them do it all for love.
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