Shannon Whitford doesn't usually stand out in a crowd. She's quiet and shy. But once she gets on stage, that timidity disappears.

She recently had a chorus role in her elementary school spring play and loved it. Whitford is one of many quiet children in Middle Tennessee who find that theater brings you out of yourself. And for outgoing kids, Middle Tennessee offers numerous ways for them to strut their stuff in the spotlight!

In Williamson County alone, performance groups for children are alive and well. The county has the Bravo Creative Arts Center presenting High School Musical this month. At Jan Williams School of Music and Theatre this month, a joint musical theater venture between the Boiler Room Theatre and the Act Too Players will see kids and teens performing in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Upcoming productions for this group include Honk and The Princess and the Pea. And the annual summer musical theater camps at Brentwood's Towne Centre Theatre for kids ages 6 - 17 (which culminate in a live production) gets kids excited. Fourteen-year-old Alex Day performed with the group last summer.

"It was really, really, fun," she says. "And I made lots of new friends," she adds.

In Nashville, several community theaters work with children: this month, the Street Theatre Company presents a summer production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the conclusion of a summer camp for kids ages 8 - 18. In Rutherford County, rehearsals are underway for Aladdin, Jr., starring a cast of more than 40 kids. So theater for kids is happening ... But what is it about theater that draws kids in? Why do they love to perform so much?

"I think that children still long to 'play pretend,'" says Sondra Morton-Chaffin, general operations manager at the Boiler Room and theater arts director at Jan Williams School of Music and Theatre. "There is less opportunity with all the video games and endless television shows for kids to exercise their play acting skills. We all like to 'be' someone else. Doing theater fulfills that need," she adds.

Bravo Creative Arts Co-Founder/Director Lissa McHugh adds that kids spend countless hours dancing, singing and pretending either in front of mirrors at home or in formal lessons. "They need an outlet to use those talents," she says. "If you ask the kids why they do it, they say, 'Because it's fun!'"

Many local theater experts agree that performing in theater offers children life-long benefits.

"I've seen kids make friends, build self-esteem, learn to communicate better, be more observant and memorize things for school," says Terry Womack, director of the Sunshine Players, operated by the Cultural Arts Division of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation for the past 20 years.

"Being on stage and performing is the most vulnerable thing someone can do," says Morton-Chaffin. "Once children step out of the comfort zone and perform, their self-esteem rises. They realize that they can try other things and often do," she adds.
One of drama's greatest gifts is that it brings children together as a team ... even if they don't know each other. Casts become like families and a brand new experience occurs with the launch of each new show.

"To put on a successful show, youth must learn to get along with others, appreciate each person's role, understand commitment, practice patience and teamwork ... all important life skills," says McHugh.

While many kids have natural gifts for acting and singing, others do not. Groups operating for kids alone will not turn them away, but if your child aims for a community or professional production, it's not always as easy as just showing up.

"Most auditions require reading from the script, so being familiar with the show is always helpful," says Clay Hillwig, director for Circle Players, Nashville's oldest community theater which regularly casts children. "For musicals, they are typically required to prepare an upbeat song and read plus do dance/movement exercises to determine dance ability," he adds.

So what do directors look for when casting children? "I am always looking for energy and strong character choices," Hillwig says. "As well as the ability to take direction."

Time and Volunteering

Busy parents, take heed. When kids are in a show, there's quite a bit of commitment involved. Productions are a lot of work, and your child will have to attend many rehearsals. Make room in your schedule – once your child is in a show, practice isn't really an "optional" activity. Taking kids out early, dropping them off late, or skipping rehearsals entirely causes problems for the rest of the cast.

For children's programs like Bravo, Act Too, Sunshine Players and others, time commitments vary.

"We meet once a week for an hour-and-a-half. The week of the show we add tech rehearsals, and the kids are required to work on their own between rehearsals," says Morton-Chaffin.

Bravo, on the other hand, generally requires four hours a week until the performance week, which includes dress rehearsals. At that point, McHugh says the time commitment grows to 20 hours for the week. A community theater group requires more hours and often weekends, and every group depends on volunteers to make their productions successful.

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