Theatre Can be a Dirty Business

Theatre Can Be a Dirty Business

The actor in the spotlight sings a show-stopping number as beautiful chorus members execute stunning choreography and bring the house down. This is one side of the business of theatre—the magical side, the clean and beautiful ‘there’s-no-business-like-show-business’ side. There is another side, though - a dirty, dusty, grimy, gross side. And I have witnessed this side many, many times in my decades of work in community theatre.

I have seen volunteers, people who are being paid NOTHING, crawl through the murky underside of OCT’s stage (yes, there is a crawl space under our stage!) to investigate an electrical issue. I have seen them shovel tens of hundreds of pounds of plaster they’ve removed from our ceilings and walls into wheelbarrows and roll them out to the dumpster. I have seen them vacuum carpets, mop floors, scrub toilets, haul scrap set pieces, put up set walls, take down set walls, paint, trim weeds, fix windows (and roofs, and ceilings, and…), wrangle loads of costumes, wash popcorn makers, and countless other grubby, mucky jobs. I’ve seen it, and I’ve done some of these things, too. Some. Definitely not all. Ish. I’m not going to lie: it can be really yucky work.

So, theatre can be a “dirty” business, and the people I’ve witnessed dive into this dirtiness do this, not because they are insane (well, not certifiably insane), but because they understand how important their contribution is. And their commitment and drive are contagious. Like the best and most beautiful virus you can imagine, this commitment and drive catches on, and then—before you know it—other people are spreading this beautiful virus to even more people…and creating a passionately “infected” COMMUNITY. The dirty work gets done, and the people doing the dirty work have found that the work they are doing is building a foundation for the transformative things that happen on the stage. Somehow, everyone’s got the virus, and no one wants to be cured. Everyone wants to dig in and ‘get dirty’ because it makes their lives better. This ‘dirty’ work has been fundamental in building friendships, supporting passions, and making this little corner of Spring and Grove a more magnificent place.

Theatre can be a very, very dirty business with very, very (but not certifiable!) crazy people. But there truly is no business like show business. It is all completely worth it. Let’s hope there is no cure.

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OCT Announces Its 51st Season: Around the World in Five Plays

By Andy Rassler • December 19, 2025

Old Courthouse Theatre is excited to introduce its historic 51st season. Kim Baysinger, chair of the theatre's Programming Committee said at our live announcement: “The traditional anniversary gift for those experiencing their 51st year together is MARBLE. And like that coveted stone, OCT is set to gift you with a 51st season that is solidly beautiful!” After a year-long vetting, reading, and voting process, the Programming Committee sent its season recommendations to the OCT Board of Directors. For this knock-out season, the vote was unanimous. Our season opener, set in long ago France, is a swashbuckler full of action and adventure; a classic tale turned on its comedic ear by America’s preeminent comic playwright. We begin our season with Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers ! What better way to enter fall with all its spooky thrills than to be mesmerized by the greatest selling novelist of all time? From the UK, a tale of murder, police, invisible ink, hidden doorways and secret drawers. OCT offers up the comedy thriller from Agatha Christie… Spider’s Web ! Our eyes look to New York City and the time of the Great Depression for our holiday show this season. On the heels of our successful last few years of holiday shows, we are leapin’-lizards-over-the-moon-a-tingle to bring you the most iconic musical of all time, Annie . Likely a new title for you, our February show comes from a writing team known for their ‘knock it out of the park’ comedies. Trust us when we say: This one is off-the-charts funny! Put together a wedding at a venue across the country, a Mama who won’t get on an airplane, and a quirky set of characters getting in a car together, and you’ve got: HILARITY. Otherwise known as Mama Won’t Fly . This is a ‘please don’t miss this one’ type of show, and we are thrilled to be producing it. We end our season with a title that just belongs on the OCT stage. It brings so much of OCT, Concord, and our mission together in one place, and when the rights became available, OCT pounced with no hesitation. The Avett Brothers started here. Their roots are here. They belong here. Their success has been a blessing for our community for years, and (for those who haven’t followed them) they recently extended their work from the concert stage to Broadway. We are absolutely awe-struck and humbled to be producing the newly-released and regional premiere of: Swept Away . It is our hope that we are offering a little something of solid beauty for everyone in our 51st season. As we continue to grow, expand, and work to serve our community, the OCT board and volunteers promise to devote all of our talents, time, and energy to producing the best versions of these plays for you, our family of supporters. See you at the theatre.