Building Life Skills Through Youth Theater
photos courtesy Georgetown Palace Theater
While the Palace Theatre is known for its stellar youth productions ranging from 101 Dalmatians Kids to Mary Poppins Jr., the real magic happens behind the scenes. Through the Palace’s education programs, kids and teens build skills like empathy, self-confidence, and teamwork — qualities designed to help them shine in life, not just on stage. “We fully believe that everyone can benefit from being involved in theater,” Palace Education Director Kristen Rogers says. “Being involved in theater can develop confidence, creativity, empathy, resiliency, collaboration, and so much more! These skills help create strong performers, of course, but they are also skills for life — not to mention the top most sought-after skills named by employers of all types year after year.” The Georgetown community is lucky to have area high schools and middle schools that offer pretty robust theater programs for their students, Kristen adds. “But we want to help support, supplement, and extend those opportunities so that every student can get involved and they can start as young as kindergarten.”
THEATER FOR ALL
“There is always something going on in the Education Department at the Palace Theatre,” Kristen says. Every fall and spring, the Palace offers a wide range of programs at the Doug Smith Performance Center for young performers of all ages and skill levels, including acting, singing, ballet, tap, jazz dance, improvisation, stage combat, dramatic writing, and film and TV acting. These classes are open to participants ages 5 to 18, with occasional classes for adults.
For those looking for a deeper dive into performance, the Palace’s education productions give students the chance to participate in shows each session. This fall, 7 to 10-year-olds will get to be a part of Frozen KIDS, while 11 to 14-year-olds will perform Elf the Musical, Jr. “We chose them because they are titles we knew kids and parents would be excited about, but also because they both have a lot of fun roles, big and small, so they can both give lots of children ample learning experiences as well as plenty of opportunities to perform and shine,” Kristen says.
For students ages 7 to 18 who are ready for a higher-level experience, the Palace Performance Company offers advanced training and the chance to participate in an ensemble. Admission is through auditions, and participants receive personalized guidance via classes, productions, guest workshops, and master classes. Seniors (8th-12th graders) enjoy exclusive performance opportunities, like this fall’s production of The Addams Family School Edition.
The Palace’s offerings extend beyond the regular school year as well, with day camps available during school holidays, spring, and summer. In addition, the theater’s Adaptive Theatre program welcomes adolescents and adults of all abilities to explore acting, dance, and performance in a supportive environment. For younger audiences, the Palace also produces Theatre for Young Audiences shows every fall and spring. These age-appropriate, affordable performances are perfect for school field trips or family weekend outings, offering the magic of live theater in a fun, accessible way.
Kristen’s favorite part is seeing her students’ personal growth extend long past the final bow. “It really is the best job in the world. There is no greater privilege than watching a student’s growth and development as a performer and as a human being — just being a part of their journey from the time they are maybe six or seven years old all the way up through high school and beyond. It’s amazing.”
Families of participants agree, with one describing their daughter’s experience at the Palace as “absolutely incredible. My 10-year-old/fifth grader got a chance to ‘shine’ and develop confidence in a craft that may just become a true passion for her. The quality of coaching and organization of this program is the best we’ve seen in the area.”
MORE THEATER MAGIC AHEAD
The Palace Theatre is gearing up for some exciting productions this fall. Tickets are already available for their Theatre for Young Audiences show, Charlotte’s Web, with a final performance on November 9, and tickets for Frozen KIDS, Elf the Musical Jr., and The Addams Family School Edition go on sale in early November. Registration for the Palace’s spring classes and productions will open in November.
Scan the code to learn more about the Palace’s education programs or visit GeorgetownPalace.com/education-productions.