TCTA, Ratings, and Our Commitment to Our Community

By David SteeleReed, Executive Producer 

 Theatre is a mirror, a sharp reflection of Society.    -Yasmina Reza 

This quote from an award-winning playwright states the mission and power of theatre: to reflect and comment on the state of the human condition. Through laughter or tears, a play can reveal the light and darkness in each of our souls. Theater tells the stories of everyday lives; of past, present, future or worlds only imagined. The theatre is a shared experience between actors, audience and playwright. 

Our mission at Tehachapi Community Theatre Association (TCTA) is to explore, examine and display the human condition with all its diversity and wealth of experience to our local audience and the community at large. We commit to produce plays and entertainment that have a broad appeal along with shows that may be challenging to some members of our community. Because we value diversity of thought and expression, not all of our shows will to be to the personal taste of all of our audience members all of the time. Some will not attend shows where adult language or overtly adult situations are present. We wholeheartedly encourage personal choice and responsibility when it comes to your family, your beliefs and your entertainment preferences. We want you to feel confident that you are making an empowered decision to attend a TCTA play or presentation every time you purchase a ticket.

So we offer you, our community, a commitment and a partnership. The Board of Directors of Tehachapi Community Theatre Association has voted to adopt the Motion Picture Association of Americas (MPPA) movie rating system. This instantly recognizable, voluntary system is well known to all movie-going audiences and is easily adaptable to rating plays and presentations produced by TCTA. The Board has concluded that TCTA audiences need to know what to expect, especially for the parents or guardians of our youngest audience members. Going forward, each TCTA show will bear a rating on all publicity including posters, playbills, websites, social media, print ads and news articles. 

So here's where you come in! TCTA is committed to providing a rating and our reasoning for assigning that rating to each of our plays. You, our audience, are encouraged to research and come to a personal decision based on your own beliefs, preferences and tastes as to what is ultimately appropriate for you and your family. The internet is your best source to find show synopsis, reviews and a wide variety of video postings so you can get a sense of language, situations, and tone to see if a show we’re producing is right for you.

By adopting a rating system, TCTA intends to build a partnership with our audiences and community; a partnership based on mutual respect and transparency that will gain the trust of our audience and the community at large. We will continue to entertain you with stories that reflect and comment on our world; the good and the bad and the sometimes ugly that is life. We intend to present shows as they are written with their language and voice intact, but always with an appropriate rating so that you can decide what is right for you. We highly encourage you, our audience partner, to research whether a show is appropriate for you and your family. Together we can “Exercise Responsibility." 

Please feel free to contact the Tehachapi Community Theatre Association Board of Directors if you have any questions about TCTA, our shows, programs, ratings or if you’d like to become a volunteer.

We're your community theatre, Tehachapi!