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I can hardly believe it, but the Theatre Education Community
has already been around for a year. Before we had the Community, I thought I
knew a lot about theatre. I mean, 17ish years of experience and a BFA and you
start thinking you’ve got a handle on things... Little did I know that I had
barely scratched the surface. I have learned amazing tricks and tips, read some
fantastic new plays, discovered some incredibly helpful apps, and made new
friends by being part of this forum. I learned more about tough issues theatre
students and teachers face and read eloquent debates about various aspects of
educational theatre. I have felt
inspired, entertained and heartbroken by the discussions and blogs I’ve read.
On behalf of the entire EdTA staff, it has been an honor to
maintain this resource for you and the field of theatre education. We thought
we knew a lot about theatre and our members. 86ish years in the biz and you
start thinking you’ve got a handle on things... How refreshing it has been to
discover that we have so much more that we can do. So many of our office
conversations now seem to start with, “Did you see that post in the Community
today?”
EdTA Community Baby Book
Another exciting development has been that, not only have we
seen the familiar faces of our leaders popping up in the daily digest, but also
fresh ones adding their voices to the conversation. We’re so pleased to be able
to have a place where we have the chance to “meet” everyone, rather they were previously
hidden by fields of corn or by crowds of people.
When we were discussing all of the ways we could celebrate
this occasion, one question that came up was whether to call it an
“anniversary” or a “birthday.” We immediately, unanimously, agreed to call it a
birthday because, to us, the Community has always felt like a living, breathing
being and a “birthday” seemed to personify it more than an “anniversary” did. We
had the Community in beta test mode for 8 months. We were so careful about
adding new testers, reviewing each discussion, meeting to discuss any possible
new features and monitoring its growth. If you had been there with us on that February
morning when we launched it to the world, it may have reminded you of
witnessing a birth. We had been so prepared, but nothing went according to
plan, frantic phone calls were made, specialists brought in, and somehow, at
the end, it was all worth it because we had this beautiful creature to obsess
over. We literally took shifts getting up in the middle of the night so that
someone was monitoring it at all times for at least the first week. As time
passed, we grew a little more comfortable and (slightly) less protective, but
even now, whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, I always peek in on
our Community. Here’s an entertaining look back at the story of Community and the milestones we accomplished along the way.
We are grateful to YOU for giving life to this world we’ve
created, it would have been impossible if you hadn’t believed in it and made
the effort. Thank you for your ideas, your advice, your wisdom, and most of
all, your questions. We look forward to the next year and all the education we
have yet to gain.
To celebrate, we are running a special contest. Anyone with a completed profile (photo and bio minimum) by FEBRUARY 28 will be
entered to win one of several fabulous prizes. If you share a comment on this thread, telling us
something you’ve learned from the Community, we’ll give you an extra entry.
THANK YOU for helping “our baby” thrive in its first year!