Drama Queen Laura Attanasio

Laura Attanasio is a genius when it comes to melding her three lives into one. She’s got her youth theater group Kidz Konnection, a new position as a drama teacher at New Haven's Worthington Hooker Middle School, and her own little actresses, ages 14 and 12. 

Attanasio is the founder and artistic director of in Clinton, and is a master of balance, efficiency, passion and time management.

She landed a job last year teaching drama and still leads the youth-based theater company. 

“I took this job because they called me. They heard about me and needed me very badly. I thought I’m trying to run this business and it will be good to teach lots of kids because then I’ll learn how to do it quicker,” Attanasio said and added, “so now I’m crazy-busy.” 

“Isn’t it crazy that being a mom is an exciting period of our lives and then we go and do all of this other stuff after they grow up? It’s incredible,” she says. 

One key to success that’s making all of this work is that she’s “a very high energy person to begin with. That helps,”  she says.

Teaching has greatly improved her time management skills.

“I’m teaching similar things to my grades that I’m teaching in my theater company. I learned that I work with the same ages in both places so why reinvent the wheel. Often what I’ll do is choose a season of plays for Kidz Konnection that I’ll use as my curriculum for New Haven and it works out nicely," she said. 

For instance, Kidz Konnection just finished The Hobbit.

“The Hobbit is a classic book and a great piece of literature to study," she said. "I chose that unit for my seventh graders in New Haven.”

Attanasio is the sole proprietor of the nonprofit she hopes will become a 501(c)(3) by June.

“This means that I can write grants. Once I’m titled as a 501(c)(3) the federal government looks at me differently,” she explains. 

Attanasio studied theater at New York University and had a successful theater company in Minnesota. She moved to Connecticut, had two children and was an at-home mom.

“When they got to be a certain age, it was becoming clear that there wasn’t a lot of theater at the time in our shoreline community,” she said.

A couple of families encouraged her to put on a play in 2006.

“There were only about 10 kids in it but it was very successful. It was at the , and my kids were in it so it was very exciting for them,” she said.

The next year the kids wanted to do another play and add friends to the group. Twenty kids were involved. At the end of that year, Attanasio was encouraged to offer a program.

In 2008 she did her first big production, Alice in Wonderland. At the end of 2008, Attanasio realized she couldn’t continue to use the church. And, she knew the concept was a viable option for kids.

Attanasio said, “It took a long time but the art space next to opened up. Management there liked the idea of a business that would help the area grow for young people. They thought that was an exciting opportunity for the Chip's Pub crowd.”

The support for Kidz Konnection has been tremendous since the beginning.

“The whole town has been so supportive. We really worked from a budget of zero. I always have people say they’ll make the price affordable for you so you don’t have to charge people so much money,” she said. 

At the end of 2009 the group moved into their new space, and went from one class to three classes to five classes. “Now I teach all the time,” Attanasio says.

"We usually do two mainstages at the  and then several Blackboxes at the local Methodist Church.  Along with daily classes we have more than 130 students currently registered," she said. 

While she’s incredibly busy, she points out, “I do look at it like this: I do work, work, work a lot but when you do what you love it’s not work anymore.”

Attanasio adds, “Also it’s great for my kids to experience their mother doing something passionate like this. I feel it helps them grow. Overall, it’s been a great opportunity for me and my family. Both kids are still involved, love theater, and would love to get a degree in theater.” 

The next production is Little Mermaid, scheduled for Friday, April 8 at 7pm; Saturday, April 9 at 4pm; and Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Andrews Memorial Town Hall.  Tickets will be $8 in advance/$5 for children 12 and under or $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under at the door.  

For more information, please visit www.kidzkonnectionct.com