The Power of Youth Performing for Youth

When Janet Louer and I first created a young actor’s Repertory Company at The Actors Training Center (ATC) it was a way to offset costs.

Why pay an outside company to provide live theatre for young audiences when we had extraordinary talent right in front of us?  It was also an opportunity for our most dedicated and talented musical theatre students to experience the rigors and joy of performing in repertory.

Story telling on stage is a powerful medium for both the audience and the performers themselves. Winnetka’s Elizabeth Kasten, 14, shares this experience of performing with ATC’s Rep Company: “Janet has taught me to go against my limits and push even farther when developing a character. I have learned so much from Janet and ATC and I now think of ATC as my second home.”

Only a few years ago, our talented young actors were themselves audience members mesmerized by the power of live theatre. Young theatergoers can connect with these performers who could be their older sibling, babysitter or classmate. Telling stories on the Wilmette Theatre stage is an intimate experience which creates a lovely synthesis between audience and performer. I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this wonderful process in which stories and human experiences can be brought to life on stage.

In early February, ATC presented “Little Women,” the first of three performances in our “Little Series,” featuring musicals full of heart, imagination and perseverance.  “Little Women,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “A Little Princess” are all stories about young girls, teenagers and mothers who face life challenges with grace and determination. I loved the idea of storytelling through a thematic series targeted at young women. Janet and I were excited when we discussed the important messages that each show addresses.

As mothers of daughters ourselves (four between Janet and myself), the issue of teenage rebellion deserved some attention, which is why we chose “The Little Mermaid” (opening February 22).

Often, as parents, we see teenage rebellion as simple defiance, straight out of that chapter in our parenting handbook titled “Hold On Tight!” However, we have a lot to learn from the story’s main character, Ariel. She follows her instincts and heart, ultimately opening the eyes of her father, who in turn learns the crucial yet challenging lesson of letting go that all parents must eventually face. I am sure this is why the story of “The Little Mermaid” resonates with people of all ages.

We will end the series with “A Little Princess”, opening April 26th. With music by Andrew Lippa and book and lyrics by Brian Crawley, “A Little Princess” shares messages of friendship, loss, hope, tenacity of spirit and defying class prejudice, teaching us that no matter your station in life, what really matters is the love in your heart.

Giving our repertory students and actors the chance to work at a professional level under Janet’s talented watch while exposing a generation being raised on tablets and cellphones to the thrill of live theater is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.

The “Little Series” runs through May 4th at the Wilmette Theatre. For tickets, please visit: www.wilmettetheatre.com.

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