Long Time No Blog

After being home for the week of Thanksgiving, I am now finishing a residency here in Auburn, just up the road from Olympia. It's our youngest cast so far, just K-5, which has presented new challenges for both Mallory and me. The show is designed with parts for ages 5-18, but when your oldest cast members are in the fifth grade, the dynamic changes quite a bit. The expectations are different, the end goal is different, the ability level is different, and instead of 13-17 year olds in lead parts, you have 10-12 year olds in lead parts. It's not worse, just not what we've been used to.

It has been a surprisingly difficult adjustment to make. Coming into each residency, we constantly have to remind ourselves that the kids have never before been exposed to this show. Even though we may know it forwards and back, they have just gotten the material. With each mistake or forgotten line, we have to keep in mind that they've only been working on the show for two days. This week is no different, except that the general standard of capability that has been set during the six months prior was set by older kids. Most of the time we teach a high-schooler a lead part during the week: multiple scenes, songs, movements, dances, and lines a plenty. Now imagine trying to teach a fifth grader the same part in a week. Big difference. Anyone who has a strict definition of success has obviously never worked for Missoula Children's Theatre because for me, every week and every kid defines success differently.

We had a Friday show this week, which means we lose a day of rehearsals. This week I wish we hadn't lost that day. Because of the younger cast, the learning process was a bit slower that we're used to, so even by dress rehearsal this afternoon I was wondering if we would pull it off. But yet again, the kids proved they could do it. The show wasn't perfect, but it was still a great show that wowed the audience. Every week we strive to put on a great show and every week that potential lies not in us the Tour Actors, but in the hands of the kids. We can teach them, guide them, encourage them, and all of that, but when the lights go up they're the ones who have to do it. And no matter how much you practice, you never exactly know what you're going to get on show day. It's kind of a scary job. But every time they seem to do it. They always seem to accomplish the task at hand. Perhaps they could have done a bit more, but in all 18 or so weeks of Cinderella this year, no cast has failed. And it can be hard to trust them not to fail. But give them the responsibility for the show and they usually will run with it.

I can only imagine what it could be like if the kids we work with were more used to that kind of responsibility. If there were more opportunities in our society for kids to be challenged and empowered. I've never been disappointed in a kid's performance, but I have felt disappointed that a kid didn't do as well as I know they could have. But perhaps it's only because that kid is not in the practice of being challenged and empowered. They don't know any better. I'm glad to be a part of a company whose slogan is "Helping kids reach a new stage." Someone needs to.