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The pillars of my philosophy came from simply, genuinely loving children. I wanted them to feel secure and accepted.  So when I created my original theater, I knew creating a family was a key element. I could teach skill all day and never finally break through to help the child find their own voice, to make it strong and have real lasting results—results that would last a lifetime, skills they would keep and use as adults. That was what I wanted. Not to merely teach theater and acting skills. So I set out to make the experience unforgettable.

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My theater is all-inclusive— except for one type of child—a bully. I have a strict zero-tolerance for any bullies and if I see someone bully another child, they will be asked to leave, a parent will be called, and the child will no longer be able to attend. I can’t build a family if someone is working to tear it down from the inside. I will talk to the child and ask them back for a later production. I am even willing to teach private lessons to help them understand how to become part of what I do. But my first priority is to protect the family I am building, to protect my blossoming children.

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Another part of this philosophy is to make sure every child feels important. No child will EVER play “Third tree from the left” in my theater. No SMALL parts are ever given. I am a published writer, (even winning a few awards) so I am always doing adaptations to make sure every child has at least 10 lines. This is fair. And this ensures the child feels good about the part they receive after auditions. Oh, I know, some will say, “They need to learn life isn’t fair.” Oh I am certain they will learn this, but my theater isn’t where we that lesson is taught. Here’s why: In order to get a child to open up, to feel, to develop that fragile self-esteem, I need them to be proud of themselves. Also, they will know that if they are the main star in one production, in the next, they may not be. I like to rotate my young actors, so they learn that they are a huge part of the whole—no matter what role they get. They then become supportive of each other because they know they are part of a big production. A family. If I were doing simple common theater, the focus would be on who has the most talent. My theater isn’t about that at all. My focus, instead is on the WHOLE child, the heart and soul of the bigger picture. Of life. What a child learns in theater can truly be the best experience of a young life. To be part of a family of support, to develop life skills, especially self-esteem, public speaking skills, confidence and learning to motivate, and encourage others—to be part of something larger than themselves is the objective. And most importantly—that it’s ok to be yourself—your true genuine self. In fact, it’s amazing, wonderful, and simply incredible to just be yourself. I want them all to experience this.

 

Of course, the teaching of acting, the skills, the nuances, believability, the keys to suspended belief, improvisation skills, dialogue skills—all of it will be taught every single rehearsal. I just roll those into the bigger picture and never ever forget that I am working with the fragile self- esteem of a budding human being. One must be vulnerable, without walls to be raw and believable on-stage. This requires them to feel safe and free. They all become my babies. Know this –I am a mother first, then a theater director. Loving your child into their full potential. That is at the core of my work.

                     

                       

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