The Stage Play Came a Callin'

Dear Anonymous Reader,

A little fun fact about me...I have been in the performing arts throughout my life. As a kid it was dance, and fifth grade began my choir years. Junior high I started in the show-pop choir at school and I carried my love for singing and dancing into my high school years. Then, off to college and into their Chamber Choir. A decade later I joined a local community choir. Three years after that I dipped my toe into musical theatre for the very first time, landing a small role of a delivery boy named Arpad in the production "She Loves Me". The fact that my first role in musical theatre was as a boy was really quite hilarious as I am usually the most well-endowed woman in most given rooms. They put me in suspenders and knickers. Do you know how hard it is to keep suspenders in place over a G-cup?!?! Haha!

I fell for musical theatre, right then. It is ridiculously time consuming as an average, working professional, but the people and the performances make all the late nights worth it. Okay...I wasn't really feeling that much love when my alarm went off at 4:30am, but that's just what it was.

So...my local musical theatre career has been:
2010 - "She Loves Me"
2015 - "The Music Man"
2017 - "Annie"

What I really want to talk about today is a 10 year old girl I worked with in "Annie" named...wait for it...Clover. (Clover? Names are so weird now a days! I actually know children named Smile, Atlas, and Isosceles...like the freakin' triangle!) Ok, Clover, despite her unusual name, was probably one of the most interesting, authentic, and charming children I've ever met. She was a total tomboy and had a spirit of authority and self-assurance like I've never seen. She wasn't bossy or snarky or rude, she was amazing. And it was a total honor to work with her.

About 3/4 of the way through rehearsals I had a conversation with Clover about a prop we had to share and then transfer together on stage and when we were done my eyes were opened to just how AMAZING musical theatre is for children. Here we were, a 36 year old woman and a 10 year old girl discussing the proper time for prop placement/transfer and it was all initiated and coordinated by Clover. She new her responsibility, she knew the scene, she knew what I was doing and what she needed to do and was 100% confident in her abilities to make the situation successful.

In what other world does a child and an adult have such conversations. I was not speaking with her as a child, I was speaking with her as an equal and a partner. Clover, and all the children who were in the "Annie" play, were seen as equal performers. They learned their lines, cues, dance routines, costumes, timing, sets and props, and most of all were legitimately listened to when speaking with adults because their input was productive and responsible. I wasn't working with a bunch of little kids in that performance, I was working with young professionals and it was inspiring.

Clover became my favorite person to work with during that production and I hope I get the opportunity to work with her again. She is a smart and energetic young girl and I know she'll go far in whatever she puts her mind to.

So, A.R., if you have children or grandchildren, I highly suggest you see if they are interested in the performing arts. It's a way for the child/adult relationship to be supported on equal ground and encourage self-esteem and responsibility. And also sooo much fun!!!! Those kids got to see 30 adults dancing, singing, laughing, joking, and generally have a good time! No one was nagging or criticizing. I was play time for all of us. An amazing experience!

XO
Kel