Acadia Musical Theatre Valentine’s Day Fundraiser

On Sunday February 14^th, the Acadia Musical Theatre Society went to the Wolfville Nursing home to perform for residents at dinner time. Two society members travelled to four different dining rooms and entertained staff and residents. The Society had held a raffle and awarded one lucky winner with a Valentine’s Day Serenade by third year violin major Allison Stewart. The group raised funds of over $100 and was given the freedom to choose a Serenade destination by the winner of the draw, who was unable to obtain their prize in person. “It was really a nice thing to do, I think the residents really enjoyed it” quoting President Hope Latta, who also founded the Society in August of 2015. “It’s important for Acadia students to give back to the community, and it’s especially fun to do so through Musical Theater. Going to places like nursing homes is a great way to contribute and it’s a pretty fun thing to do. Once you’ve gone once, it’s the sort of thing that you’d want to do again and again. Staff members can be a great audience, so it’s a great way to perform without the commitment of doing a show.” The concept of playing at a nursing home is inspirational because it provides students with an application of the things that they are learning to do. It’s important to spend time interacting with people who watch you perform because it can provide valuable insight and give you more practice with the concept of audience interaction. Such skills also further development in other fields of study, such as theatre and communication. Being able to access such easy ways to perform is a gift, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially when it is so loved by both parties that are performing. Being able to share the things you learn provides a foundational appreciation for your craft, and it also enriches the experience of being a student overall. Having those sorts of experiences are also good for developing a critique eye for audience response. Often times there is an alienation between the audience and the entertainers where students perform for an audience that they can’t see due to formal lighting. This distance makes it harder for people to grasp the atmosphere in the room that they are performing to. It’s a special skill to be able to play off the audience and to take their energy into account when making choices on stage. These sorts of opportunities are great for strengthening receptive skills, as well as for providing extra experiences in performing. Being able to see your skill make somebody else happy is something that provides extra motivation to keep going through with the program you are in, especially if you are in the arts. It can be a really fun thing to do, and it makes studying a little bit easier. Acadia Musical Theatre is proud to be able to connect Acadia Students to the community at large, and they encourage members to perform where they can. They also provide information on local productions and mini performance opportunities. Funding from the event will also go towards bringing in education workshops in the realm of theatre. To find out more check out their Facebook page and group and email them at [email protected].