A New Beginning: Welcome to Catalyst Theatre

I started getting involved in theatre as a 15-year-old, when my high school English teacher invited me to audition for the play You Can’t Take It With You. As a wannabe ballerina, I played Essie Carmichael, who would throw her toe shoes up on anybody’s lap and stretch across furniture just to “play the part.” The physical comedy brought lots and lots of laughs, and the minute I heard them, I was hooked.

Theatre became my passion and my purpose, because for the first time in my 15-year-old life, I felt that I had made a difference in some small way, even if it was just making someone chuckle. I’ve gone on to pursue it in all of its different forms, and now I simply call myself a storyteller, however that takes shape along the way. I am truly one of those people who enjoys the rehearsal process itself, the sense of community, belonging, and joy that comes from just being part of an ensemble.

Why Call It Catalyst?

Catalyst is a modern scientific term derived from the Greek kataluein, meaning to loosen or untie. I have, myself, experienced a recent “untying,” and it has been an amazing catalyst for so many things: less stress, more time with my husband, the freedom to travel without worrying about all the details I’m leaving behind. But more importantly, that untying has been a catalyst for a new beginning, one that I believe truly represents my own personal calling in the realm of theatre making.

People come to the art form of theatre for many different reasons. Some love the applause. For others, it’s about being creative. Some come for the community. And then there’s a group of us who are simply compelled. We must tell stories, because it was a story that changed us and gave us purpose. That’s what I identify with most as a theatre maker. I love people, and I love people’s stories. I also have a desire to help people, and I see theatre as a way of doing exactly that.

I want to be a catalyst in the lives of others: a catalyst for change for the better, a catalyst for laughter, a catalyst for hope. To be a catalyst is to become a person or force that provokes significant, lasting change; that initiates growth; that guides others toward truth; and that seeks to spark inner transformation without being changed or diminished along the way. My dream is that Catalyst Theatre will be not just a new beginning for me, but for many others, through stories that challenge us, transform us, and illuminate something true.

Kicking Things Off With Laughter

This, the community, the belonging, the joy of storytelling, is why I chose to kick off the first season of Catalyst Theatre with something that would be, quite literally, a catalyst for laughter.

You’ll have to hang up your hats and gloves for this one, and get out your bandanas and your toothpicks, because life at Armadillo Acres ain’t fancy. These are real people with real problems, struggling to figure out how to get by. At its core, The Great American Trailer Park Musical is a story about learning how to live and survive in a less-than-perfect world, and having, and giving, the grace to others who need it. And of course, the laughter and the audacity of these folks will have your sides splitting and your jaw dropping.

There is a season and a time for everything, and I don’t know about you, but I want to experience laughter and joy in this season more than just about anything right now. Come meet Betty, Linoleum, Pickles, Jeannie, Norbert, Duke, and Pippi. They’ll get you laughing, and help you find that in every less-than-perfect situation, there’s a way to press on.

Welcome to Catalyst Theatre. I can’t wait to build this with you.