Not exactly
sure why someone thinks 'amateur dramatics' are a 'peculiarly British institution,' but I've long been a fan of community theater. At first, presumably, because it's what I had access to (financially and geographically) when I was younger, but also because over the years I've seen some amazing 'amateur' performances. Some very talented people don't want to spend their lives running the small business known as ME, which is what you have to do to try to actually succeed, and art often flourishes under constraints (space, money, and, yes, even lack of supreme talent). Support your local community theater!
