For many people, growing up comes with an unspoken expectation: be responsible, work hard and leave playfulness behind.
Tyler Klink believes that might be one of adulthood’s biggest mistakes.

When she joined the Franklin Players earlier this year, she wasn’t chasing the spotlight or hoping to become a professional actor. She was simply searching for a creative outlet – a place where imagination was welcomed and curiosity encouraged.

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What she found was something far more meaningful. “I found a warm and welcoming community that was both refreshing and soul-affirming. It really took being part of Franklin Players for me to realise how much I needed community in my life.”

Klink discovered the Roosevelt Park-based community theatre group in February after spotting an audition notice for its One Act Play Festival on Facebook. “I was looking for a creative outlet, and the audition seemed like the perfect opportunity to become part of my community in a meaningful way,” she said.

Although she was new to the group, it didn’t take long before she felt at home. Unlike professional theatre, where experience and competition often take centre stage, Klink said community theatre thrives because everyone has something valuable to contribute. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re performing for the first time, painting sets, helping backstage or exploring directing.” She believes community theatre creates a collaborative space where everyone can experiment, create and play.

That spirit of openness has helped her reconnect with a side of herself she hadn’t realised she’d been missing. Between rehearsals, forgotten lines, shared laughter and getting to know what members affectionately call the ‘Franklin family’, creativity once again became part of her everyday life.

For Klink, however, theatre is about far more than what audiences see when the curtain rises. Some of her favourite memories happen after the applause fades. “Karaoke after every Franklin gala is something we all look forward to. Everyone lets their hair down, the microphones come out, and before long, there’s an unforgettable solo or duet to end the evening.”

Those moments, she said, reflect the heart of Franklin Players – a group built on friendship as much as performance. The connections don’t end when rehearsals finish either. Members remain in touch through social media and messaging groups, celebrating one another’s achievements, supporting creative projects and encouraging each other long after the stage lights have dimmed.
Klink believes that a sense of belonging is exactly why community theatre matters. “There would be no Franklin Players without the community,” adding that the group is built and nurtured by the community it comes from.

While attracting new members and raising awareness remain ongoing challenges, she hopes more people will discover what local theatre has to offer, not only as audiences but as participants. “No previous acting experience is needed. If you’ve ever been curious, this is the place to learn.”

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Members can explore acting, directing, theatre-making and backstage skills through regular productions and practical workshops led by industry professionals. Looking ahead, Klink is especially excited about the Playground Fest on July 31 and August 1, which will bring together live theatre, art exhibitions and performers from across Johannesburg. The group’s Playground Workshop Series also continues until July 12, allowing aspiring creatives to learn from experienced theatre-makers.

She invited the community to take a chance. “Come to a workshop or watch one of our productions.” With the belief that you’ll have a great day or night out, meet wonderful people and discover what community theatre is really about.

Klink quoted legendary acting teacher Stella Adler, who said, “Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.”

In a fast-paced world where so much of life happens behind screens, Klink believes community theatre offers something increasingly rare – a place to reconnect, to create, to laugh and, perhaps most importantly, to remember that it’s never too late to play.

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