Indoor Kid

I've always thought of myself as someone who chose to embrace theatre partly because I love the art of it all, partly because of the amazing friendships I've made through theatre productions, and partly because I assumed I was more of an "indoor kid."

Everyone knows an indoor kid: that child (or adult) who would much rather stay inside, read, watch movies, play games, and generally avoid the challenges (weather-related and otherwise) of being outside. At some point during my childhood, a grown up told me I wasn't good at sports, so I metaphorically shrugged and figured I'd stick to inside activities.

Fast forward twenty years, and it turns out I'm not an indoor kid after all. In the past couple of years, my outdoor kid has started to emerge. First, I took up running and entered a 5k. I tried and loved horseback riding. Then, I decided that it was finally time to try a team sport (adult kickball, anyone?). 

My most recent foray into the world of outdoor activities was a triathlon. Emily, one of our faculty members here at the Children's Theatre of Western Springs, convinced me to give it a try, and I figured it was worth a shot. I'm proud to say that, after completing last weekend's Naperville Sprint Triathlon, I'm officially a triathlete! A slow triathlete, but a triathlete nonetheless. 

As it turns out, theatre does a great job of preparing you for triathlons! Both Emily and I found that our experience with costume quick changes helped us in our transitions from swim to bike and bike to run. Breathing exercises we learned in acting and voice classes helped us as we pushed ourselves through all areas of the event. Our knowledge of movement and body alignment kept us from injuring ourselves. Last but not least, all those years of coping with pre-show jitters kept us from freaking out on race day.

Yes, theatre helped prepare me for tackling the challenge of a triathlon, but it's given me something even more important: the confidence to do anything I set my mind to.

The classes we teach at CTWS focus on the performing arts, but our goals are bigger than what can be shared in a performance. Confidence, enthusiasm, hard work, and empathy are just a few of the concepts we address, and we encourage our students to apply them not just at the theatre but at school, at home, and even on their sports teams.

After all, there's no need for another indoor kid to wait a couple of decades to go see what's waiting outside.

For more information on classes and other events at The Children's Theatre of Western Springs, call 708-246-4043 or visit www.theatreofwesternsprings.com