Cultivating and nurturing new organizations

Cory Johnson
Columnist

A completely undergraduate-produced staging of George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” was put on at the end of last semester. Under the name of “The Society of Actors and Playwrights,” 10 undergraduate students saw an opportunity in doing something for themselves. They handled the set, acting and directing and found a space to house the show.

These students embarked on something new with this project, going outside of the established institutes of SALT and TheatreVCU. What those 10 students did – creating a new organization to fit their desires – displayed a crucial trait of keeping society from stagnation, especially within the collegiate society.

The Society of Actors and Playwrights, or SAP, is composed of mostly theater majors trying to create a new avenue for undergraduate students and playwrights to produce more original and student work. It saw that the organizations that already existed for student work could only produce so many plays in a semester, and they found a way to remedy that.

From the student organizations that petition for funding each semester to the independent gatherings of students that form for the sake of commitment and convenience, united passion brought together isolated individuals in order to unite and recognize a community they feel is being underserved. In the case of SAP, the idea is more student plays. That is, however, only a single idea in the massive pool of student activity.

One of my idols, Brad Bird, wrote that “the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so” and that true risk for a commentator is defending the new.

That statement is being proven true. The fact that someone took the chance to create something for the world to see is more significant than my sitting at a desk and typing a schooled analysis of it. But what it doesn’t say is that, in order for the new organization to survive, it needs more than a critic’s defense, but a source of support – a champion to keep it thriving so it can find its potential.

While some new things aren’t made to last, how would we know if they were never given the resources to thrive? Hopefully, new organizations, like SAP, which set out to help enrich the arts community with more viewing and experience opportunities, can find their champion.

Building a student organization out of a niche interest can be intimidating, especially if there are other organizations that serve a similar function. But if the requirements of that club or organization are too stringent, or you have unresolvable issues about the direction of said organization, don’t be afraid to gather four more friends and form your own. If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em.

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