Going back to school. Now what?

August 11, 1:35 PMDenver Theater ExaminerDeb Flomberg

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P.A.A.L's production of The Wizard of Oz

Summer is ending. Soon, the leaves will start to change colors, the neighborhood swimming pools will close, and all the big stores will smell of crayons, notebook paper, and erasers. That’s right – it’s back to school time. As your kids go back to school, you may be wondering what kind of activities they should be involved in. What school activity can give your kids an opportunity to be creative in a safe and nurturing environment where they learn all sorts of skills that can be used in every aspect of their life? That’s right – it’s theatre. Since I am not a parent, I can only speak to what being involved in theatre did for me. I did, however, speak with a few parents, educators, and administrators that all believe in the importance of theatre education in the development of children and teenagers.  
 

Horizon High School's production of A Piece of My Heart 

Most schools do have some sort of theatre program, offering any student a chance to be nvolved in theatre in some way. Kids can act, sing, or dance if they like being in front of people. Kids can build sets, run lights, and make costumes if they are on the shy side. There is something fun for everyone. From elementary to high school there are before and after school programs, drama classes, even full-scale productions. However, there is more to it than just fun. Jay Seller, Chapter Director of the Colorado State Thespians said it best, “Students who are involved in theatre, make better salespeople in the market place, better boardroom executives, better doctors, lawyers, etc.., why, because they can think on their feet and are more creative in their approach.” The skills learned can be transferred to any job in any company and can help your child with just about every aspect of his or her life.  

Horizon High School's production of Little Women

So the educational aspect of theatre is established. What about the social aspect? Parents want to keep their kids out of trouble, right? You want to be able to know where they are and that they are in a safe place and doing something constructive with their time. Mary Gottlieb, an active theatre parent and Assistant Principal of Arapahoe High School offers this, “I often encourage new students to get involved in drama because these kids welcome new faces and, of course, helping hands are always appreciated.  Participation in high school theatre allows students to develop their self-esteem, sense of responsibility, and talent in a nurturing environment.” And that is the truth. Artistic children are usually very accepting and open to others.  They love to share their own creativity and passions with their friends and classmates. And then, on opening night, at the end of all their hard work they all share in the accomplishment of a job well done.

Arts education is changing. We are all too aware of the budget cuts causing arts to slowly be scaled back. Many theatres in town offer some sort of program for kids and teenagers, but even those theatres are struggling with the cost of such programs. Seller made an important observation, “Parents are the key ingredient for saving the arts from the standards based educational cuts.  Parents need to be more vocal and talk to school administrators, district personnel, and most importantly their legislators. It is hard to even imagine a high school in America, where schools would not have bands, choirs, drama productions, or art classes, but this future is closer than we might expect.” I encourage you all to get involved. Let’s all take a step forward and make sure future generations will always learn the value of arts education.

Check out these theatres' youth programs!

• The Avenue Theatre offers ACT! A Children's Theatre Program
  Click Here for details
• The Aurora Fox offers classes, productions, and workshops
  Click Here for details
• The "E" Project offers Year round productions for kids
  Click Here for details
• Town Hall Arts offers productions performed by adults for kids
  Click Here for details