Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Where My Musical Kids At?!

This is something I am serious about.  If anyone has any suggestions or knows if this already exists, please give me a shout.

I want to start a group that recommends good LA theatre to high school (and middle school if appropriate) kids.  I mean... I grew up here AND spent the last three years trying to understand the LA theatre scene, and I've JUST finally figured out how to find good plays.  There are good ones!  I swear! You just need like 15 years under your belt to find them.

Like most middle school girls, I didn't really discover theatre until 6th grade and got to be in a musical ("Annie."  The "Frozen" of old musicals).  I knew of them, but didn't LOVE them.  And, like most girls, went from loving that experience to wanting to be an actress in plays.  But for so many kids, that's where it stops, because other than plays in school, there is literally no way to actually explore theatre and see plays.  I mean, I was living in a city with literally more actors than particles of sand, and I could not find plays.  I saw the musicals at The Pantages or whatever was at the Ahmanson, but other than that, I had no way to enjoy it until I went to college.

I remember many frustrating days spent at Samuel French (when hanging out at Dad's work on the Radford lot!) wishing I knew what to read.  I asked the people at the desk, but they were always rude and pointed to the same shit I'd already read.  I had no desire to read "The Odd Couple" or "The Glass Menagerie" again.

I just wish I knew me when I was in 6th grade to say Hey!  There's this great play about race by a wonderful new playwright that's playing not far from your house.  Check it out, kid!  
(In that scenario... I was my own future hero...)

So I'm weighing the options of trying to do this.  Every time I see a great play, I already think, "Oh!  I should tell Ellie to see this!"  Ellie is a little girl I've babysat since she was born.  She's in 6th grade now and experiencing the wonderment of middle school musicals.

I could start with her and the kids I taught improv.  Maybe tell a couple public school acting teachers who would pass the info off to their students... And get a group going.  Maybe every other month I recommend a play.  I bet kids would go.  I can't tell if this is a genius idea or just weird.

AND maybe because I say I run this group I can start getting comp tickets to plays!!!  Because I'd totally pay full price for things...If I was a rich man....






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