Play is Serious Business

When people find out that I run a children's theatre, their first response is often, "That's such a cute job!" Even colleagues who have known me for many years will occasionally ask me when I plan to start doing "real" theatre again. (Meaning, of course, theatre that features adults.)

While I can appreciate that kids are indeed pretty cute, I get frustrated when folks suggest that children's theatre is somehow a frivolous thing. Simply because the actors I teach and direct are young does not somehow diminish the work that they can do. More importantly, the experiences my students have are (in my very biased opinion) extraordinarily important to their development and well-being. 

Take, for example, a second grader who was in summer camp at the Children's Theatre of Western Springs a few years ago. All of our summer students have what we call "special moments" in the summer production: a spoken line, a duet or trio, a featured dance, or something else that allows them to shine.

This particular student had a fairly lengthy spoken line that she had to do just right so it would fit with the music. She did a great job, and I could tell she was happy with her work. What I didn't know at the time was that she'd struggled with speech problems for most of her young life, and this was the first time she had spoken so clearly in front of so many people. This student hadn't even told her parents about her role because she wanted to surprise them. Her mom phoned me after the show to tell me how special that moment on stage was for her child and for her whole family.

We've had many other students with similar stories. Kids who were too shy to make friends until they started taking theatre classes. Students who struggled academically and finally found a place to succeed when they began studying acting or technical theatre. We've even had parents who found a new network of friends because they started volunteering with their students.

So, yes...there are some pretty adorable kids around these parts. That is true. And underneath all of that cuteness are some very powerful stories of the magic of theatre.