I recently had the privilege and the
challenge of being a member of the cast of Annie. Live theater is magical. This
show was no exception. As many of you know, the Annie story is one of
optimism. It’s upbeat. It’s forward
looking. It’s fun and it delivers a
strong message with which people resonate.
As a cast member I not only heard this message but became caught up in
helping deliver it.
If you have been a performer in a
live production you understand the feeling, the vibe, and the buzz that occurs
as a group of near strangers come together, and bond as the chaos of first
rehearsal matures and grows into a show. It is a powerful and nearly palpable
atmosphere and experience.
There are always lessons to be
learned from any group activity. The
Stage One, Inc. Annie cast was no
exception. About half the cast were
children – mostly young girls around 10 or 12.
After all, the show does feature young girl orphans. Closing in on 69 myself, I was nearly the
eldest actor on the stage. Of course I
was joined by many other adults. These fellow adult cast members were great but
it was from the kids that I learned the most.
As I rehearsed and performed with these kids I was stuck by so many
things; lessons we adults would do well to emulate.
First and foremost were energy
and engagement. These kids wanted to
rehearse and perform. They were thrilled to be a part of something bigger than
themselves. They threw themselves into their characters and created new
personalities. They participated in long
rehearsals and repeatedly worked their lines and blocking. I never heard
complaints from them.
Next comes common courtesy. These
kids proactively and respectfully greeted us old geezers and all cast members.
I heard please and thank-you often. This
is so refreshing in today’s world where we are bombarded with disrespect, name
calling seems to be accepted, and there is a dearth of courtesy. Cast members
never descended to these levels.
This one, coachability, is huge,
especially in a play. A Director’s job
is to guide, coach, make suggestions, and correct. It has been my experience in
community theater that many adult actors seem to think they know more than the
Director. They bristle against and
resist redirection, suggestion and correction resulting in much wasted time for
all concerned. Not these kids. Rather,
they appeared pleased to have coaching that would make their performances
stronger. When redirected, their typical
reply was, “Thank you”. Then I observed them immediately incorporating those
directions into their performances.
Hard work and focus are such a
great combination and, boy, did these kids bring this. They knew their lines early on. They knew their dance moves. They knew their
blocking. None of this happens without
dedication, focus, and plain old effort.
Adaptability had a great role
also. Theater demands constant adaptability
as rehearsal spaces change, musical accompaniment varies, a fellow actor
inadvertently jumps several lines, the Director moves in a new creative direction,
or your carefully positioned props get moved.
These kids flowed with and even thrived on these challenges.
Annie kids actively practiced support
for and affirmation of each other and all cast members. Many were the high-5’s, the thumbs-up, the
nice-jobs that greeted fellow performers as they exited the stage after
completing a scene or as they passed each other in the wings. Often I would hear the concerned query, “How’s
it going tonight? Are you doing okay?”
Such caring, such concern.
That’s what happens when we get
out of ourselves and participate in something bigger than we are. Maybe it’s a play, maybe it’s a work group, a
church, a community. It’s that sense of
unity and purpose that we are so missing.
And there I was, sitting in the wings at JPAC, being taught these so
basic values by kids.
After all - Kids Matter
