Amateur

The term Amateur occurs in various combinations, e.g Amateur Performer, Amateur Theatre, etc and can be used of a person, a venue, a company, a society and so on.

The term Amateur

From the French term amateur (derived from the verb aimer = to love, hence someone who loves something). Thus, used as a noun, an amateur is someone who undertakes something for the love of it, not for financial gain. This as opposed to a professional. As an adjective it can refer to a person or activity done without the aim of financial gain (amateur painter, amateur sport, amateur theatre, etc)

Amateurism can be seen in both a negative and positive light. Amateurs have in many ways over the ages contributed to many fields form the sciences to thte arts. On the other hand it can be an indication of below standard achievement by people untrtained in a field. Thus it is at times seen as a pejorative term in some quarters(e.g. Someone is described as "merely an amateur", i.e. is untrained, does not undertake the acticvity "seriously" or at a "professional level", etc)

For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur

Amateur theatre

As an activity

Since the word amateur refers to someone who undertakes something (or to something undertaken) for the love of it, not for financial gain, Amateur theatre simply means theatre made by people who are not professionals, but merely for the love of it. (Or it may refer to productions or the organisations presenting them which are done "not for gain".) )This encompasses a very wide range of performance activities of course, over the ages, cultures and geographical regions.

In many countries, also in South Africa, so-called community theatre is often also an amateur or at least Semi-professional activity.

The Afrikaans terms for this is the old term Liefhebbery Teater or Amateur Teater

As a venue

On occasion the term "Amateur Theatre" is used (formally and informally) as the name for a performance space or venue.

For examples in South Africa see inter alia Garrison Theatre, Barracks Theatre, Hope Street Theatre, Liefhebbery Tooneel,

For more information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_dramatics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur

See also Amateur Theatre in South Africa

See also Community theatre

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