Theater Families,
Like you, we are bewildered by the events that have transpired in the past 10 days… it’s a full time job just trying to keep up with the constant changes in information about COVID-19. Like you, we are feeling the coronavirus burnout… And this is, sadly, just the beginning.
Theater teaches us to be adaptable, too respond to change with enthusiasm. After all, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. But that doesn’t mean the challenge isn’t scary…
This current challenge, this “new normal”, is really scary on a number of levels. We feel fear for:
- Our theater family, especially our medically vulnerable family members…
- Our kiddos and the positive life experiences they are missing out on: school, learning, adventure, travel, and opportunities to develop important life skills…
- Our community and its ability to be disciplined and take socially responsible action to help slow the spread of this virus – even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or (as it is for us) potentially financially destructive…
This is a scary moment. Much like you, we feel fear.
But we want this note to be one of Faith, because we believe in a hopeful future. One of our amazing Board Members, Adam Cooke, is a Pastor and often guides our leadership team with his wisdom. He recently presented the idea that Belief and Faith are interchangeable; that our behavior is a direct result of what we believe or have faith in. And Faith is just a trusting obedience, its power comes from the object of our faith, just as Fear’s power comes from the object we fear. Fear cripples us. Faith empowers us. Fear wants to control us. Faith wants to set us free… which begs the question, do we respond to this moment in history with Fear, or with Faith?
“If you want to change your behavior, change your belief system.” – Pastor Adam Cooke
If you know anything about our little organization, you know that we believe we can empower youth and our community through quality arts programs that help people discover their own unique talents to change the world. And we stand by that belief. We have faith in it because we’ve seen it work.
Everything we do from the people we hire, to the shows we produce, to the way we engage kids in our classes and productions, to the way we make really hard choices to protect our community – EVERYTHING we do is based on our belief that a changed world, a compassionate, loving, kind world, starts in our own community.
We believe that, with the support of our community, we will survive this challenge. This challenge will make us better at our work. We will be innovative, responsive, and socially thoughtful in our approach. And we will invite you to join us in not letting this moment destroy our mission, but to help us discover new ways to deliver on that mission, that promise, that Belief that we have the ability – no, the RESPONSIBILITY – to change the world one theater kid at a time.
We will not live in fear. We have an abundance of faith.
Stay well friends. And stay tuned for new, exciting programs and announcements.
The TVCT Team
