One of the things that makes for a well-rounded community is the opportunity both to participate in this kind of activity, but also to see this activity.

You need to out earlier.

Right as they're ending like they're continue talking.

Does that make sense?

Yes.

One of the things that I hear from the audiences and from community members is they like seeing people they know on stage.

The kids like seeing their teachers on stage.

The other adults like seeing their friends on stage.

There is a sense of community pride in the community at large for this theater and the productions that they've done for the last 40 plus years.

Get a sink from a local hair salon and I managed to plumb it up, so I now have water on stage.

So I'm a volunteer for Main Street Community Theater, which is an all volunteer organization in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

I was like, I was studying my script today, and I have this thought.

I'm like, I just don't like the way this works.

It's a small, small town community theater that has a very big impact on the community.

We have been in existence now, I believe, for 43 years.

Emmetsburg Main Street Community Theater has provided a safe space where you can, I guess, express yourself.

We don't take the whole intermission.

They've found positions for people to help out with shows, whether that be backstage, you know, in the booth.

On stage.

Musically.

You name it, though, somehow there's a there's a way for everyone to get involved in the theater.

You got to find that out of.

Let's get ready for next scene.

And but we've always put these up.

We have this like this is a local artist that's done work for us here.

He did.

He designed that.

This one came with the show.

This is me.

We started this community theater in 1978.

Tickets were three dollars.

I think we've done about one hundred and thirty nine productions, all told.

So I've been doing a lot of theater for a long time.

You know, I was the little sexy mama, so my character started out in the middle of the stage alone.

And I remember thinking, my knees are shaking.

I wonder if it shows.

I was very nervous.

I'd say I'm a student of the theater.

I attend a lot of theater and I think about theater.

To me, that's the whole point of the prop, was that you didn't have it at first.

Now you're prepared.

As Wynton Marsalis said.

Arts are great.

They make your life better and they're fun.

I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun.

What is it that a volunteer doesn't do here.

As a few of the others have said it's not about the one thing you do, but it's what you don't do.

Yeah.

I've never had long or short hair before.

So my hair has always been the length that it is..

I'm like a whole new person.

I was working for the newspaper here in town, and Jackie called me on my office phone and said, hey, I'd like you to try out for this part.

I think you'd be perfect.

Are the boys home yet?

Yes.

Jonathan loves his... Oh, it absolutely depends on the day.

It really, truly does.

Some nights someone might end up in tears.

Other nights we might just be, I mean, giggling our way through the entire thing.

Mama didn't approve of me twirling fire baton.

One thing about Emmetsburg is it's very tight knit community.

I know almost everybody or almost everybody knows me.

It's really small, but I think that helps with being tight knit and a good community feel.

Being able to cast an entire show can be hard.

Sometimes you're you're begging people like, oh, please come, come audition.

And this is my first time doing this for community theater.

See, I'm talking to you in my southern accent and I don't even need to.

Some of the benefits is that you have some really dedicated people.

I think people here work hard at no matter what they do.

I think, the arts, most importantly, it just brings you outside of yourself, it allows you to connect with strangers, it allows you to strengthen relationships that you already have.

That's not true, momma.

And it brings important topics.

It brings new topics to town, to individuals.

It just broadens everyone's horizons.

I think that the relationship with the community is such a gift.

A few years ago, we had some financial woes and we sent out a letter to our supporters and community members and businesses, and we just we were honest.

We were like, we need some help.

And the response was amazing.

I mean, beyond beyond what we thought we would get.

We are extremely lucky.

I think that the Emmetsburg community theater is supported as strongly as it is.

Yeah.

All of this was donated where they were going to throw it away.

Oh, it's creativity.

It's just everything is about creating something, making something out of nothing.

It's what I live for is creating something.

I've been playing make believe all my life, so.