Center Stage Youth Theatre

Posts Tagged ‘Money’

This week I was delighted to receive notice that I have been accepted into the MAT in Teaching Theatre program here at the University of South Carolina’s graduate school.  In this program I will have opportunities not only to hone my skills as a teacher and to learn to keep a better classroom with planning and organization, but I will have the chance to take more training in acting, Directing and design for the theatre. Who knows?  I might even have the chance to take a Dance Class!

While the world of the theatre is anything but thriving under the current economic situation, and school around the country are cutting the arts budgets, for some reason here in South Carolina our school have kept the money in place for the theatre programs.  It is common even in elementary schools here for there to be a drama teacher in place, making this a great place for being a theatre arts teacher.  So far.

Peter Duffy, the director of the USC program, told me that he feels that theatre teachers must make themselves indispensable to our schools.  A wise statement, and one I think I understand very well.  We must make very clear that what we do with the children in our schools is not only to provide rehearsal and performance opportunities, not only to show the children off in this way, but to provide an alternative learning environment, whether across the curriculum or in the theatre classroom itself.  We can accommodate the learning of children who learn in other than traditional ways, and within those experiences bring to our kids all the emotional and developmental benefits found in theatre arts activities.

I feel a sense of loss at the lack of success our CS programs have experienced this year.  While our little night of Theatre and Music was a delight, and I was so very proud of the participants that evening,  the truth is that so many children who registered did not complete the program.  They either dropped out without a word, or kept coming sporadically and then stopped altogether.  It  was frustrating for me, yes, but I think it was frustrating for the other kids too, whose scenes had to be canceled, duets reorganized etc.  And it was embarrassing.

But this area offers so many theatre programs for kids, and it cannot be ignored that I have no money, hardly any contacts and very little community awareness of my style or support of my philosophies.  And this is in no way a judgement, as every program has their own goals.  But oh!  I am starting to yearn to be a part of a sure thing, with a budget, regulars and a support system!  lol – I intend to look into becoming involved somehow, whether it is at first only backstage.  I miss the well oiled machine aspect of a well produced show.