House Center: Words from Our Audience
Many professionals working in TYA feel drawn to the field because of the deep and powerful connections that are built with audiences of young people, both through performances and theatre education experiences. In each issue of NEXT, we feature the thoughts and ideas of young people from our audiences and education programs, in their own words, on a wide variety of topics. This month, we posed three questions to young people around the topic of community.
How does theatre impact your life? Why do you participate in theatre programs?
From Omaha Theatre Company for Young People:
"I participate in programs because theater IS my life. I have been doing this for over fifteen years, and ever since I stepped onto a stage, I caught the theater bug. I don't do it for the glamour, and I don't do it for the attention or for the friends or for the experience. I do it because it's like breathing. Without it, I suffocate."
"Theater impacts my life in ways such as it is a good way to express myself, I love being on stage, performing, and having my spotlight, it also give me a chance to be myself and let my emotions go. I participate in theater because I love to act, and I love meeting great new kids."
From Lexington Children's Theatre:
"I participate in theatre because it's a great experience for everyone. It's a great thing to have when you're young, especially when you are probably going to make a career out of it someday. Theatre is just so much fun and I don't think I could live without it."
"Theatre impacts my life by being my main extracurricular activity. Also, theatre is a common interest between some of my closest friends and myself. I participate in theatre because I absolutely love performing and getting a chance to create a completely different character within myself. I am very thankful for all the opportunities I have been given to participate in theatre."
When you participate in drama or theatre, how are your relationships different from those in other activities in your life (i.e. school, sports, church groups)?
From Omaha Theatre Company for Young People:
"The most important thing in friendships with peers in drama is how good they are. We don't know really what school they're from right off the bat. There's no classification as to who's a prep, who's a jock, who's a geek, who's a loner. We're all there for the same reasons, and sometimes we don't even learn each other's last names. Instead, we get to know the person for who they are, instead of who the world says they are."
"Drama kids are probably the coolest kids one could ever hang out with. They are very wild, creative, and hilarious. My relationships with them are at a very personal deep level, but you can obviously have so much fun with them too. Kids in other activities just aren't as open-minded and artsy as those in drama or any other art activity I participate in."
From Lexington Children's Theatre:
"When you're in a show I think the cast bonds more because they all have similar interests (or they wouldn't all be doing the play in the first place). Also, when you're in a play the cast spends lots of time together and they help each other a lot (maybe with lines or makeup) and everyone learns from one another." (Katie B.)
"Relationships that are formed in theatre are very different than those made in class or sport activities. When working on a production with people for hours almost every day, many people quickly form long lasting, personal relationships."
Does theatre help you build friendships?
From Omaha Theatre Company for Young People:
"Yes. It helps you become a better person. Even though a good half of the time, you don't keep theatre friendships longer than the run of the show. But I was in an improv group for a good eight years, and some of those members I'm still in touch with. One of them ended up going to my school, and we're very good friends to this day."
"Definitely. Doing shows is probably the number one way to bond with other kids. You spend so much time with the cast, it's impossible not to build friendships and get close with people. Also, good casts always have good chemistry and that is the key to having a successful show."
From Lexington Children's Theatre
"Theatre definitely helps me build friendships. In theatre, you meet people who have very similar interests and you'll see them a lot. I met my best friend and many, many other very good friends through theatre."
"Theatre undoubtedly helps build friendships. I have met the majority of my friends through theatre activities and performances."
Special thanks to Jeremy Kisling of Lexington Children's Theatre for developing the questions and compiling the responses. Jeremy can be reached at jkisling@lctonstage.org A special thanks goes out to Brian Gerhing at Omaha Theatre Company for Young People for his help in gathering responses. Brian can be reached at briang@otcmail.org
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Special thanks to Jeffrey Livingston for the NEXT banner design and
to Al Arthur for putting the zine onto the web.