what is the boston children s theatre? - Boston Children's Theatre

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“It’s a shift we’ve seen strongly in the last 20 years with nonprofits,” Schine said. “They’re a service industry and they’re looking at themselves as a business being able to sell a product.” The theater company found that it had strengths to build on, starting with the name. Many people have either heard of it or at least they think they should have so they’re open to hearing more. Additionally, while television takes some of the blame for the declining interest in theater, it has become part of the renaissance with shows such as “Glee” and “American Idol” that have sparked a renewed interest in performing. The theater company is poised to take advantage of that interest with an abundance of new classes. It offered 120 last fall compared to just 30 in 2008. There’s a robust summer program with classes for ages from 4 to 19. Then there is the premise that if you want to sell more, you have to make more. Last year, Boston Children’s Theatre produced five shows compared to just three in the previous year. Each one is geared toward a slightly different age group. Along with the increased number of shows, the theater company developed a school curriculum around them to get schools more involved. This allows it to reach out to the community while increasing its potential audience. It worked. Last year, the audience included 10,000 students compared to just 600 in the previous year. The lineup this spring has some big names including “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” “A Year With Frog and Toad” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Behind the scenes, the theater company upgraded its technology, added social media outreach and is redeveloping its Web site. It also added an unconventional service — birthday parties. Though at first glance it may seem odd for a theater to offer parties, they actually fit the mission quite well. The parties are based around live stage performances. Instead of regular party games, the participants do acting exercises. The company already had the space, the costumes and the staff to provide the entertainment. All it needed was the cake and pizza. “We get to introduce Boston Children’s Theatre to kids who wouldn’t otherwise come here,” Schine said. The parties also bring in extra money, which helps fund other programs. Jennifer Heldt-Powell can be reached at jpowell@excellentwriters.com Page 2 of 2
NEWBURY — Maybe “Glee’’ is an international language, because you can tell at a glance that this cafeteria table is full of theater kids. An out-of-season scarf here, a little extra hair gel there: It’s easy to tell they’re the arty ones in their schools. But you might not notice they’re from another country until one of the American teens passing the table bursts into song as he dances out the door: “Germans! Germans! We love you all!’’ Welcome to the Boston Children’s Theatre Summer Studios, a musical theater camp at the Governor’s Academy, in Newbury’s Byfield section. The 220 campers include 15 from Germany. After five weeks of classes and rehearsals, they’ll put on a show, of course. “The lessons we have are so much faster than in Germany. I learned more from this in one week here than in a half year in Germany,’’ said Annika Backes, 18, of Weiskirchen. For a long time, musical theater was not exactly tops on teens’ to-do lists. But shows like “Rent’’ attracted a younger demographic, and then Disney’s “High School Musical’’ franchise and Fox TV’s “Glee’’ hit around the world like a pop-culture hurricane. “I think in America it’s still more popular than it is in Germany. In Germany kids watch ‘High School Musical’ as something to do. But I think in America, some teenagers are crazy about it, do their whole room in ‘High School Musical,’ ’’ said Eva Niethammer, 18, of Volklingen. “In Germany there’s a musical like ‘High School Musical,’ T HURSDAY, A UGUST 5 , 2 0 1 0 International flair at musical theater camp by Joel Brown, Globe Correspondent Elle Martins rehearses a lift with German camper Julien Hirschauer. Dina Rudick / Globe Staff it’s called ‘Rockets,’ ’’ said Lasse Zimmat, 16, also of Volklingen. “It’s new, but it’s . . .’’ “ . . . not good,’’ finished Julien Hirschauer, 14, also from the same apparently very talkative town as Eva and Lasse. “Not very professional.’’ Teens are always harsh critics, of course, but these kids know what they’re talking about. A recent stroll through the prep school’s performing arts building found campers doing silent movement exercises in acting class, practicing four-part harmony to piano accompaniment in the music room, and learning a tap routine in the dance studio. They’re divided into two age groups, 9-14 and 14-18, whose stays in Byfield overlap by a couple of weeks. At the end of their session, each group puts on two productions. While the older teens were in classes, the younger set was conducting an elaborate rehearsal for that night’s opening of their show, “The Wedding Singer.’’ There was an adult four-piece rock band on the twolevel stage, and more adults running computerized lighting and sound rigs. The young performers were in full costume, singing away into headset mikes. And out in the middle of the 500-seat hall, a Boston Children’s Theatre director was laughing, applauding and taking notes for a later critique. Like most teenagers, the German kids have big dreams. “I’m here just looking for the directors, because when I grow up I want to be a movie director, but I don’t think it’s going to be, like, musical,’’ said Hirschauer. Some of them are surprisingly clear-eyed about their chances.
Page 1 and 2: 2010-2011 www.bostonchildrenstheatr
Page 3 and 4: BOSTON’S THEATER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Page 5: February 6, 2011 New way to run the

what is the boston children s theatre? - Boston Children's Theatre

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