Learning about Theater

My daughter was an orphan in a local production of Annie.

Participating in community theater is a great addition to any education program. Attending performances is an excellent place to start. You might just have a child who wants to be on stage and watching a show may be all the inspiration that's needed.

My youngest child has loved being on stage since she was about three years old and had her first opportunity to be in the spotlight. In Germany, we participated in a traditional German dance class that put on numerous performances during the carnival season. When my youngest was three years old she happened to be much younger than any of the other kids in the program. I think the nearest her age was around 6-7 years old. She was involved because both her older sister and I were dancing at the time. She learned the dances by attending our practices and could actually do the moves and remembered the dance. Needless to say, she was noticed because she was young and because she had a little talent. The dance club decided to dress her in a special outfit and had her lead the other dancers onto the stage.

After she performed her dance with her class she was supposed to stand still on the stage with the other kids while the MC talked about the kids. She saw this as her opportunity and rather than standing still, wowed the crowd with a series of high kicks, cartwheels and splits.

The second night she performed her dance the teachers made sure she knew she was supposed to stand still, but she still managed to steal the spotlight. She did the pee-pee dance throughout her routine. It was quite entertaining.

Later that year, her pre-school teacher in Germany gave her a prominent role in the school play. Dressed as a mouse, she had to dance with a six year old on the stage. My daughter didn't hesitate as she knew people would be watching.

Fast forward several years...... The past two summers she attended a two week theater day camp and loved it. So when we heard the local theater community was putting on Annie, I knew she had to try out.

This was my first experience with theater and my daughter's as well and we've both been very happy with it. First, I was stunned when 60 children turned out to audition for the seven orphans parts in the musical. The director ended up choosing the seven, plus an additional fifteen or so for the orphan chorus. That is the part my daughter received.

Since the initial audition, she attended a call back audition, and then began rehearsing. As show time approached, rehearsals became more intense and ended later at night. I'm thankful that homeschooling allowed her the flexibility to sleep in after late nights. I'm also thankful that the director and all those involved with the production kept such a positive, encouraging attitude.

This was a memorable experience and she learned so much. She learned there is lots of down time backstage when you are not in a scene. Down time presents great opportunities for making friends and having some fun. Performers don't just turn up on show night for thundering applause. Instead, they train like athletes for several months before performances. She learned a lot about singing. With no formal training, participating in the musical is at least worth a music credit. Practice and hard work are required. In the end when the audience cheers, it is worth it!

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend participating in a small production of some sort. Kids gain so much knowledge with each unique experience they have and this is a great way to introduce them to new opportunities, people and the local community.