"Community theatre is the one place where being weird, being different, being strange is considered an asset, not a reason to be bullied or ridiculed", argues Dan Chesnicka, producing director of an award-winning community theatre in central Florida. He explores ways in which community theatre reaches out to underserved populations and brings the community together. Dan Chesnicka is the Producing Director of Theater Winter Haven, an award-winning community theater in Winter Haven, Florida. Prior to joining the world of theater, Dan was the co-founder and CEO of a product development company and is the inventor of Hitch Critters, Truck Antlers, and other novelty products that have sold hundreds of thousands of units and are responsible for millions of chuckles. Dan also spent a dozen years working at Walt Disney World and is credited with developing a number of innovative programs.
Dan's passion for community theatre was ignited by his children's involvement and after serving on the Board of Directors at Theatre Winter Haven, he assumed his current position three years ago. Under his leadership, Theatre Winter Haven won numerous awards at the local, state, and national level. Dan sees the performing arts as a way to connect people in the community and reduce isolation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx