Whiz Kid: Hi Diddley Dee! An Actor's Life For Me!

For Olivia Cotter, our youngest Whiz Kid ever, the world is what you make it, and as long as she is singing, acting or dancing, the world is going her way. It's not always easy, though, and Olivia explains the adjustments she has to make to keep herself and others happy with her.

 “My mom took the Parent Leadership Training classes and Patty Keckeisen (PTLI Coordinator) taught all the kids how to make caterpillars,” said Olivia. “That's how I met her. She teaches me lots of things; we do composting together. I am nine years old and going into fifth grade. When I was in pre-school, my mom was a music teacher, and that's probably why I like to sing.”

 “I have been in the children's ensemble at Richter for the Christmas Carol, Carousel and Oliver. I am going to be in Godspell, and I'll have lines. The lines are “Bingo!” and “Blessed are the pure at heart.” That means that God blesses people because they had a pure heart, which means be nice, you can't brag about yourself, help other people, share. I share sometimes. I share crayons with friends at school.”

 Olivia doesn't just talk. She talks and dances, talks and spins, talks and walks. Like a little bit of fluff on the wind, she is the very essence of the word wistful.

 “I like theatre because I can pretend to be somebody else without getting into trouble for lying. I want to be a star on Broadway but I haven't seen a Broadway show yet.”

 “I first time I knew I was a good singer was when I was in Carousel, and everybody told me I was good. I always wanted to be a singer, I used to hear people singing on the radio and it looked like fun.” Throwing her arms to up with dramatic flare, she announced, “I'm going to sing like Celine Dion!”

 Olivia takes acting classes, and Middle Eastern, Jazz and Hula dancing classes. No ballet? “I took a lot of ballet,” said mom Elizabeth Cotter, “and I think she sees that as my thing.”

 With all of her talents and sense of fun, it's hard to imagine Olivia has a care in the world, but she struggles to understand her place in the world with ADHD. “It's hard to pay attention or listen without listening to other sounds. It's hard for me when someone tells me to do something and it's going to be boring. If I do something else first, people get mad at me. I take medication because it makes it easier to listen. That's why I like theatre. I can be busy with singing and dancing and I don't get into trouble.”

 With a hint of sadness on her expressive little face, Olivia said, “It's not my fault I have ADHD and one day at school a kid told me I was crazy because I had to take medication. I have difficulty in math because I want to do what I want to do.”

 As a music teacher, her mother brought Olivia with her wherever she went. “When I taught music at pre-school, she was always with me. She knew the whole shpiel as soon as she could talk. She has always been funny. Her favorite comedian is Tina Fey,” said Cotter.

 “Tina Fey is funny, she directs, and she's in it,” said Olivia.

 “We went to Times Square and all the other kids were impressed with the Disney Store but Olivia screamed when she saw a huge picture of Tina Fey on Broadway,” said Olivia's mom.

 “I'm not really like a kid,” said Olivia.

 Take a look at the pictures. She's a kid all right. And a wonderful one, too.