From the moment I stepped on stage, I have known that musical theater will always be a significant part of my life. Musical theater opens doors to different realities and allows the performer to create their own world and version of the story. I have been involved with Hub Theater Group for seven years now trying to become more knowledgeable about the inner workings of theater as a whole, but I never knew that my best teachers would be a bunch of little children from the camp I volunteer at. Shining Stars, the camp I have been volunteering at for four years, has been one of my most treasured experiences because I get to help children come out of their shy shell and become amazingly flamboyant actors and actresses. Since I worked with Hub, I have seen campers come back year after year and become more personable because of the work my fellow counselors and I are doing. …show more content…
My favorite memory from working at this camp was when a mom of a little girl named Izzy came up to me, hugged me, and told me that Izzy, who has incredible social anxiety, carried on a 5 minute conversation with a stranger about musical theater; I felt like I had accomplished what i set out to do: give the campers the tools they need to become more self-confident in a daily setting. Volunteering at this camp has allowed me to realize how much I love working and helping children learn and grow. Ever since my first year as a counselor, Izzy has come back to this camp because she looks forward to continue to increase her self-confidence. In addition to teaching at the Shining Stars camps, I have learned so much from all of the campers. My favorite lesson I have learned is from a seven year old girl named Kaylin who taught me how important it is to see the world through different “glasses” and take everyday slowly because it only happens once. These campers are wise beyond their years in many
People have dreams of what they want to do or accomplish in life, but usually musical theatre is just pushed into the non-realistic void. It isn’t a dream for me. In the past four years, musical theatre has been clarified as my reality. Musical theatre has been the only thing I have seen myself wanting to do. My first love was The Phantom of the Opera, seeing how I watched it almost every day and it was one of the first shows I saw. Of course, I started doing all of those cute shows in middle school and making a huge deal about it to my family and friends, but I have never felt so passionate about something. The minute I get up on that stage I throw away Riley for two and a half hours and it’s the most amazing feeling! Being able to tell a story
Until now, only my family and those who have had the experience of calling my house in the midst of one of my renditions of the confrontation scene between Javert and Valjean from Les Misérables knew about my passion for musical theater. For years I have endured ridicule from my sisters and their friends who have overheard me belting out the lyrics to "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof while in the shower. Ever since my first musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, seven years ago, I have been obsessed with the telling of stories through melody and verse. My heart leaps when I see that Phantom of the Opera is coming to the local theater, or when Guys and Dolls is appearing on television at one in the morning.
I was seven years old when my local high school put on a production of the musical Annie. I remember the bright lights, booming voices, live orchestra, and audience applause. However, I wasn’t watching this show from the auditorium; I was participating on the stage. I played Molly, the precocious young orphan who mocks Miss Hannigan by proclaiming that the orphanage must be cleaned until it “shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!” Due to my unusual experience, my first play taught me many important life lessons at a young age.
“Theatre is like a gym for the empathy. It’s where we can go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening and understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. We practice sitting down, paying attention and learning from other people’s actions. We practice caring.” (Bill English of the SF Playhouse). This quote accurately summarises the purpose of Children’s Theatre, to help the growth and understanding of children whilst also keeping them entertained through theatrical techniques. The National Theatre’s Cat in the Hat, along with our performance pieces of Cranky Bear and Possum Magic all showcased these techniques in a number of ways, whilst also subconsciously coinciding with the child development theories
Standing. Standing for so long my legs have become numb and the slightest movement will trigger the pins and needles. Waiting for something so long that I forget what I’m waiting for. I can't even think. My mind constantly being pierced with the voices of other choirs. It’s dark, except for the stage standing in the front of the auditorium, lit up with hot stage light. They could fade the color of anything that stands before them.
During attending school and college, I have had numerous opportunities to get involved in performing. One of my best experiences was being part of the cast in Beauty and The Beast
Musical theatre is a widely diverse, entertaining, and fascinating field. Yet, it is misunderstood by so many. Young students with interests in theatre are constantly insulted. Those trying to succeed in theatre as a career are looked down on. The world of musical theatre is neglected, forgotten, and ridiculed in modern society. As a result of this behavior, musical theatre and art activities in general suffer extreme budget cuts and attention loss in schools. Administrators put their funds and focus on their losing high school football team rather than the drama club which includes a handful of students who could very well be successful on Broadway one day. “Ideology, practice and evaluation: Developing the effectiveness of Theatre in Education”
I started theater when a friend suggested I audition for the spring musical my freshman year, ever since I have fallen in love. From actor, to crew member, to director, to writer, I have been lucky enough to experience everything throughout my theater career at Wakefield High School. Contrary to popular belief theater does not just teach you to act, sing, or dance. It teaches you how fake it ‘till you make it, to work together, to be confident, and a plethora of other invaluable skills. For example, sophomore year I was in crew for the festival show. Never in my life would I have had the opportunity to be under the stage with a laptop desperately trying to hear the lines so I didn’t miss the cues! And it was amazing! Theater has also put me
I first met “T” when I was placed into the same group as him in ninth grade drama class. I believe the teacher was trying to allow for diverse groups, leading to diverse opinions. My school was majority white, farm children, and T was no exception. Our group contained 5 people, including myself and T, and we had to create a script about teenage pregnancy. I always attempt to give everyone I meet a fair first-impression, but T decided to use this first meeting to complain about the groups and the content of the class. The rest of us worked diligently and co-operatively while T continued to either be on him phone or out for a “smoke-break”. T was an obvious sharp contrast next to the rest of the group.
Ever since I was a small child, I have loved music. The strong, steady beats, the
From the friendships they can make that will last a lifetime, to the distinct memories they have of campfire traditions, camp is laced with immeasurable meaning. The skills that children learn and practice at camp can become a part of their identity, and may even grow into passions that they will continue to pursue as an adult. Whether they want it or not, the songs with constantly haunt them throughout the years and though they claim to hate it, they secretly enjoy the reminder of summer fun and adventure. One thing camp taught me that I find of value today, is to say “yes!” to adventures and working with my team to accomplish outrageously fun challenges and
I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty of how theater is more than a mere performance, but rather an artform with nuance and depth. My knowledge on theatrical styles has expanded and some of my favorites we have studied in class are Brechtian and Chinese theatre styles. I grew up participating in musical theatre, but never had the opportunity to truly learn the history and details of the craft. After studying RENT, I am inspired by the various possibilities for theater beyond acting, singing, and dancing. Theater can be used for activism or as a form of commemoration. Theater is relevant by communicating issues to the world. Theater is so much more than a dramatic presentation. The theater that I have come to appreciate the most are the performances that relay a greater purposeful message about society amidst the theatricals on
If you come to Gaston Christian School on a school day, you will hear a song among the hall way. That is me. I treasure music as my life. The first time I remembered I got in touch with music was a summer in 2000.
My journey into theatre was like Alice’s falling down the rabbit hole, slowly but sudden. It started with my attraction to visual storytelling; when reading, words peeled off the page and became images, transforming words into reality. This is not unlike a designer’s job in theatre -- turning plays into tangible worlds, even when they take place in a distant galaxy or down a rabbit hole. Upon visiting New York University’s design department, I paid close attention to the students’ work, I was impressed by the extreme attention to even the most minute details. Not only the work itself, but the resources, the ability to collaborate and learn from working professionals in the design field. It was a dream.
One of the best parts was seeing the creativity and ingenuity of all the children, while they took part in this program. One girl was really shy, but she had a lot of really imaginative ideas and when it came time to present she had a lot to say about her project. Now it has been four years since we did this camp, and I have seen her at church and seen her grow as a person. I hope all the children that expressed their love of learning and intellectual curiosity continue to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs and have the ability to graduate from high school and further their