“No, my fair cousin, the fewer the men, the greater the glory!” my 8-year-old son booms proudly from the school stage.
I love seeing my second grader performing lines from Shakespeare, and he loves it, too.
Without these acting classses, we never would have realized the talent our son has, or how much joy he gets from being on stage. I am so thankful that, despite the bare bones staffing budget in our public schools, our community has raised the money to offer classes like this.
Through our annual auction and Run for the Arts, this year we were able to provide all students drama classes during the school day; for a very small fee, they can also take drama classes after school through the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods program.
My daughter, too, has been bitten by the theater bug, and I couldn’t be happier. This shy, studious girl is playing the part of Lady Macbeth in the fifth grade production of Shakespeare’s tragedy (a condensed version). Memorizing her lines, learning to project her voice, beginning to understand the complex language of the play have been the highlights of an otherwise difficult school year.
I’m thrilled that my children are finding pursuits that they are passionate about, and wish all kids the same experience. When we present our kids with varied opportunities, including sports, theater, dance, music and visual arts, they are more likely to encounter an activity that touches their soul, something that excites them, makes them feel good about themselves, and helps them give back to others.
As much as it hurts in these tough economic times, if some neighbor child stops by your door, asking you to support them in this year’s Run for the Arts, open your checkbook and give what you can. Funding the arts and other “supplemental” activities for kids is imperative, not just for their sake, but for all of ours.
Submitted by Anne

March 17th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized