When you hear the word "theatre", your mind might immediately jump to Broadway, which is understandable. According to Broadway World, the shows running right now have a net sale of $30,147,630 just this week alone. I guess we can all agree that Broadway is pretty popular. But there is so much more to theatre than people tend to notice. There's community theatre, devised theatre, children's theatre, and my favorite, touring theatre, just to name a few.
People who are not well versed in theatre don't realize how big of a demand there is for touring children's theatre. Elementary schools all over America are opening their cafeterias and gymnasiums to theatre troupes and their talent. Recently, I was a part of Bowling Green State University's Treehouse Troupe which does exactly that. Throughout the fall semester, every Tuesday and Thursday, myself and five other talented students would meet and rehearse/ perform 2 short plays designed for kids grades k-8. During this experience I learned a lot of things. Some of the most amazing things happen when you work with a touring children's theatre company.
1. You witness pure joy.
One of my favorite parts of touring theatre was watching the kids when they found something funny. They would light up and smile, making it so easy to continue doing the show. During the show this season, I played the villain and it was so fun. The children were so excited to see me fail and to see the "good guys" triumph. Their laughter is the best validation I could have ever asked for.
2. You get hugged a million times.
Children identify with silly, ridiculous, pretty characters. After the show it is pretty common to be hugged or high-rived at least twenty times as the kids exit the gym. When you're in a show that makes kids laugh and have fun, it's easy to see why they fall in love with each character. One of the members of my troupe played a lion and that made an autistic child so happy that he hugged him for close to ten minutes without letting go. We make such a huge impact on these kid's lives. For many of them, we are the first theatre they have ever witnessed in their lives. Most of those kids will remember it for the rest of their lives, and that's something I hold special to my heart.
3. You hear the most ridiculous things.
Children are hilarious. If you've ever had to teach them, lead a workshop, or even spend an extended amount of time with them this is a fact you've probably known for a while. Some of the silliest things I've ever heard came from the kids I performed for. For example:
"What are some examples of props you saw during the show?" "He's a lion!" Um....yes. That's right, he is a lion. Good.
"What are some examples of friendship that we saw in the show?" "Pepper!"..... What?
One of my personal favorites was when one of the characters in our show stated "I hate being a slave, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!" To which a brave soul in the third row sassily answers "Get a job!"
See what I mean? Hilarious.
4. You learn about all aspects of theatre.
As a performer on a children's theatre tour, you are completely self sufficient. We not only set up and tear down the set every single day, at every single school, but we also act as crew during the show as well. Playing the music, changing the scenery and set pieces are only a few of the "jobs" that fall under our duties while on tour. We learn to multitask as both cast and crew during these shows, giving us real world skills and applications.
5. You gain memories that will last a lifetime.
I spent an entire semester waking up early, traveling thousands of miles, performing for thousands of children and performing up to 40-50 shows. I spent hours upon hours with the same six people, doing the same 45 minute show over and over. I learned more during that show than I ever expected to. I made great friends and gained amazing experiences. I learned about different types of theatre. I learned about my limitations and my strengths. So next time you think about what theatre is, don't jump straight to Broadway. Remember all the educational theatre that is touring to schools all across America and all the hilarious things that happen when touring for children's theatre.
