Several times throughout the year, Collin County Moms Blog features a local non-profit organization that assists moms and/or families in need. We love the opportunity to spotlight how local families can help out through volunteering, donating time or money and more, right in our own community. We try to pick organizations that our contributors know and volunteer for personally, and are eager to share the needs of our friends and neighbors throughout Collin County.
My 12-year old twins are fresh off a six-show run with Genesis Children’s Theatre, and while I’ve wanted to write about this amazing theater for quite some time, nothing puts the experience in better perspective than from the mouth of my own child. Below, my daughter described in an expository writing for her English class the benefits of theater.
The Benefits of Theater
(As told by a 12-year old)
Imagine a place where all the pressure and stress of the day float away. You can be whoever you want to be, without pressure from other kids or adults. Being in a show can provide a place where kids can escape from the stress that has built up throughout the school day, can build and strengthen friendships, and can provide many helpful life skills. Every child should participate in a show at a theater.
Theater is a place where kids are able to build up self-confidence and courage, and where they learn that perfection isn’t necessary. When auditioning for a show, children have to stand and speak in front of their director, gradually growing the idea that maybe talking to a crowd isn’t as bad as it seems. Then, when casted, the child will usually have lines, which means that they will eventually have to speak, or sing, in front of an audience. The friends you make in the theater helps carry the new members along, and help them with their lines. No one feels strange or out of place; everyone feels supported and loved.
Theater is a great way to grow friendships and strengthen relationships. There is a reason that theater kids are the best, and it’s not just because they can sing and act. In rehearsals, everyone is family. Theater kids aren’t divided into groups like at school. It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re a boy or girl, or even what clothes you wear. In the end, everyone is going to be wearing strange costumes and over-the-top makeup anyway. They will be there to cry with, to run around like maniacs with, and to sing karaoke at a moment’s notice. I speak (and sing!) from experience!
Ever thought that being in a show could teach you how to build a doghouse? In the last show that I was in, Peter Pan, I helped a couple other people construct a cardboard doghouse for Nana. I have also learned some tap, become very skilled at putting on wigs, and learned how to change, full costume, in about a minute flat. I’ve designed flyers online, learned how to read sheet music, and learned how to how to take care of props, stage, costumes, and everything involved in a theatrical production. The point is, theater can teach you some very valuable life skills.
Research from the Economic Social Research Institute show that children who participate in theater have better social and academic skills in their teenage years. When in a show, you learn many life skills, whether or not you realize it.
Theater Can Help Every Child
“Amazing” may seem like too big a word for a children’s theater, but it does not put into words what the kids feel and families experience by having their kids at this theater. Genesis Children’s Theatre is a second home for children throughout all of Collin County who wish to build friendships, find their voice, and grow emotional strength, courage, and self-confidence. As a mom, this isn’t a hard choice to make when it comes to scheduling activities for my child.
As a parent, I cannot recommend Genesis Children’s Theatre enough, and for those kids that struggle to find their voice at school, or find a group they naturally fit into, theater is a place where all kids are welcomed. The thought of theater is scary to many kids, so I suggest starting small with a camp. At Genesis Children’s Theatre, all kids are cast in shows, even though there’s an audition. All kids participate in all parts of theater including building their set, pulling props and costumes, and figuring out some creative choreography.
Genesis Children’s Theatre is 100% volunteer run. Both teens and parents alike, plus donors from the community, donate time and money to build a space for kids that helps build life skills unlike any other sport or class! To donate to Genesis Children’s Theatre, visit their website. Find new shows for your own children to begin their self-discovery journey!
