A goose.  A maid’s daughter. A Persian man.  A Hebrew woman.

And soon an ant and a family living in communist Russia.

These are the roles that my children have had in their years of stage experience with the Logos Theatre in Taylors.

 

 

Our family first heard about The Academy of Arts and their theatre quite a few years ago when we saw an advertisement for auditions for their production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.  Finn auditioned back then and we went through months of rehearsals and held our breath and wondered what the final result would actually look like.

It looked like magic.  Incredible.  We had few expectations with our first run through and in the audience we couldn’t believe the tricks and the onstage illusion and the spell we all fell under with Peter and Lucy and Edmund and Susan.  We were pretty much hooked right then with Narnia and the Logos Theatre and their staff.

Since then we’ve watched them perform multiple seasons of Narnia, including a ridiculously impressive Prince Caspian where we also met Douglas Gresham, the stepson of writer C.S. Lewis.

 

 

Last winter several of the kids were involved in a theatre camp held at The Academy of Arts and, although the week involved lots of back and forth taxi driving for me, the end result was so well worth it.

I wrote about that experience too – (and you can read it all right here) – but especially I wrote:

Neither play was particularly emotional in the traditional sense, but at the curtain’s call I found myself sitting there with tears in my eyes.  What on earth?  Later, over tacos or chimichangas or something, my friend and I analyzed why there were tears.  (After she shared she had the same reaction, oddly making me feel better.)  And I’m stealing her insight.  There’s the teamwork – the effort these groups of kids had put into a week long series of rehearsals.  The coming together with many to pull off something big.  And there’s this undercurrent of hope.  I think that’s what is the loveliest – the holiest – really.  The picture of hope – that you can start with an unorganized group of humans and give them a purpose and a plan – and something worthwhile can happen in the end.  Kind of a hope for all humanity.  For a future.

Plus, there’s the emotional factor of having your own heart just walking around on a stage, dressed as a Persian man or a servant girl or a goose.  My heart shaped like a goose.

At that last camp the kids were told about the upcoming summer camps and every one was immediately on board.  (Except Otto, who would rather not step on stage.)  Even London, who has only ever played an audience role beside me up to this point, asked if she could attend the next theatre camp.

 

 

The theatre camps are a perfect blend of acting and learning for our family because they are a full bodied experience.  The kids attend for an entire week, day camp style, and learn about all aspects of theatre from costumes to make up to props to design to acting on stage.   The younger camp usually performs a musical so there’s singing experience too.  You get stage direction and working with a team and incorporating all sorts of personality types and styles and abilities.  The kids make new friends and strengthen already formed friendships and they learn to project their voices and face their stage fright.

I used to live in the world of theatre once upon a time myself.  (I actually can hardly believe this is true.)  In college I studied theatre.  (And have  a little piece of paper that’s probably floating in some drawer somewhere that declares I officially have a degree in said subject.)  For several years I directed community theatre performances and for nearly a decade I taught high school theatre.  (Pre-babies and beginning of babies and in what feels like a literal lifetime ago.)

I believe in what theatre brings to the table for kids – and for grown ups.  And I also know that theatre has its own sets of flaws and downfalls. Which is another piece of the puzzle in what I appreciate about the Academy of Arts and their staff.  These are solid people, people who love Jesus and love theatre and love doing work well that allows its participants to both learn and grow and to produce a product that honors God and honors themselves too.  That’s a delicate balance in an onstage world.

In August the kids will be performing in two productions and we’d love to invite you to see them perform.

The Ant and the Grasshopper is showing twice – August 4 and August 11.  Both times at 7 pm. (August 11 is Piper Finn’s performance.  She’s an ant named Haddie, by the way.)

 

 

No Place to Flee will be performed September 1 at 7 pm.  (London and Mosely and Bergen are in this show.)

 

 

And, you know, in the nature of full disclosure and all, the theatre is hosting a ticket giveaway contest.  If you decide to see any of the performances, when you call the theatre to buy your tickets, mention one of the kids’ names and if they sell the most tickets, of course there’s a little prize.

More importantly than the prize, however, is this tidbit of info.  Tickets for the show are $10.  But, if you order the tickets before August 2 you can receive a 25% discount and that is reason enough to place your order right away – especially if you’re like me and have a handful of audience members you’ll be buying tickets for.

You can order your tickets here.

 

 

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