Haymarket Theatre partnership puts foster kids in the spotlight
When he grows up, he’d like to be a zookeeper or a singer,
but definitely an actor -- at least part of the time, the Lincoln
sixth-grader said.
He found his niche -- and lots of new friends -- on stage at the Haymarket Theatre. If not for the theater’s scholarship program with Cedars Youth Services, the boy’s foster family said they never would have been able to afford the opportunity. (The boy cannot be identified because he is in foster care.)
“It has been an amazing experience for the kids who have done it,” Michaela Young, program manager in Cedars Foster Care program, said of the theater’s Nebraska Youth Theater scholarships. “Most of our kids don’t get to take part in theater, generally. Giving the scholarship is so great. … They have met new friends and have been given a chance to experience something they normally would not have been able to.”
The Haymarket Theatre created its scholarship program for Cedars one year ago. It offers one $275 scholarship per youth session to a child in Cedars’ foster care, as well as 10 free tickets per show to Cedars foster families.
Today, five Cedars foster care kids have performed in six Haymarket Theatre productions.
Plans are to double that number this year, with the theater awarding two scholarships per session to Cedars kids, said Jan Tuckerman, president of the Haymarket Theatre board. If the theater can secure more donations, it will increase scholarship and free show ticket offerings to foster families, she said.
The scholarship/ticket program was Tuckerman’s idea. Last year, she accompanied the troupe to Clinton Elementary School where they performed “School House Rock.” Instead of watching the stage, she found herself unable to take her eyes off the audience.
“A lot of them had not had an opportunity to see live theater before,” Tuckerman said. “It was an incredible experience watching them watch the actors. They were mesmerized.”
Afterward, several students expressed interest in joining the theater, but said that their foster families could never afford the tuition.
Tuckerman turned to the theater board. The group had been looking at ways to give back to the community, and Tuckerman gave them an answer -- funding one scholarship for a foster care child in each youth class.
The board introduced the plan to audiences during the spring 2012 production of “Annie.” “Orphans” in the play walked through the audience prior to each show clanking metal buckets and seeking donations of loose change.
“It was very successful, people were very generous,” Tuckerman recalled.
And hearing Tuckerman recount those looks of awe on the Clinton students, the board also agreed to provide Cedars with 10 tickets per show for its foster care children and their families.
“Foster parents don’t always have a ton of extra money to do extracurricular activities, and oftentimes the birth parents don’t have money either,” Young said. “We encourage kids in foster care to take part in what they can."
School sports and music programs often have means of reducing equipment and rental cost for families. Community donors are very generous with musical instruments and lessons, Young said.
But the Haymarket Theatre is the first theater organization to offer scholarships to Cedars foster kids, she said.
Theater gives kids experiences like no other, Tuckerman said.
“If you have ever seen that transformation … They start out shy and when they get on stage, it has a metamorphic effect,” she said. “To let all kids have that opportunity is really important.”
Jordan Deffenbaugh, Haymarket Theatre associate and technical director, agreed.
“There is something about theater that lets kids express themselves and forces them to get out there and do it,” he said. “As a result they can have fun, be themselves, can do whatever and can express themselves -- some of these kids have had a ball.
"And they make a lot of really good friends along the process. If you are with someone for three weeks, five days a weeks, six hours a day, you grow friendships that are unbreakable. … That is the biggest thing, we find connections with these kids they may not otherwise have. … I think they have been able to find some sort of ability in doing these shows that they may not otherwise get.”
That is certainly the case for the Lincoln sixth-grader, who has landed one of the bigger roles in “Robin Hood: A Folk Musical.”
“He just loves it. He is very musical and artistically talented,” Young said of the boy. “It is awesome for him. He is able to express himself and has made many friends. .. It has given him a whole new identity and whole new group of friends. It’s given him a chance to be a normal boy.”
It’s obvious the boy agrees as he enthusiastically talks of the show and the lessons of Robin Hood; as well as his previous performance in “Mulan” and a movie he made for You Tube’s “Make a Movie in a Day.”
“I get to meet new people and meet up with new friends and get to hang out, and just stuff like that,” the boy said.
“The only really bad thing, is that once she (foster mom) adopts me, I won’t be able to do another play,” the boy said.
Because once he’s adopted out of foster care this spring, he’s no longer a Cedars kid and becomes ineligible for the scholarship. “Maybe … if we can save up our pennies, I can,” he said.
“You know, really anything can happen.”
He found his niche -- and lots of new friends -- on stage at the Haymarket Theatre. If not for the theater’s scholarship program with Cedars Youth Services, the boy’s foster family said they never would have been able to afford the opportunity. (The boy cannot be identified because he is in foster care.)
“It has been an amazing experience for the kids who have done it,” Michaela Young, program manager in Cedars Foster Care program, said of the theater’s Nebraska Youth Theater scholarships. “Most of our kids don’t get to take part in theater, generally. Giving the scholarship is so great. … They have met new friends and have been given a chance to experience something they normally would not have been able to.”
The Haymarket Theatre created its scholarship program for Cedars one year ago. It offers one $275 scholarship per youth session to a child in Cedars’ foster care, as well as 10 free tickets per show to Cedars foster families.
Today, five Cedars foster care kids have performed in six Haymarket Theatre productions.
Plans are to double that number this year, with the theater awarding two scholarships per session to Cedars kids, said Jan Tuckerman, president of the Haymarket Theatre board. If the theater can secure more donations, it will increase scholarship and free show ticket offerings to foster families, she said.
The scholarship/ticket program was Tuckerman’s idea. Last year, she accompanied the troupe to Clinton Elementary School where they performed “School House Rock.” Instead of watching the stage, she found herself unable to take her eyes off the audience.
“A lot of them had not had an opportunity to see live theater before,” Tuckerman said. “It was an incredible experience watching them watch the actors. They were mesmerized.”
Afterward, several students expressed interest in joining the theater, but said that their foster families could never afford the tuition.
Tuckerman turned to the theater board. The group had been looking at ways to give back to the community, and Tuckerman gave them an answer -- funding one scholarship for a foster care child in each youth class.
The board introduced the plan to audiences during the spring 2012 production of “Annie.” “Orphans” in the play walked through the audience prior to each show clanking metal buckets and seeking donations of loose change.
“It was very successful, people were very generous,” Tuckerman recalled.
And hearing Tuckerman recount those looks of awe on the Clinton students, the board also agreed to provide Cedars with 10 tickets per show for its foster care children and their families.
“Foster parents don’t always have a ton of extra money to do extracurricular activities, and oftentimes the birth parents don’t have money either,” Young said. “We encourage kids in foster care to take part in what they can."
School sports and music programs often have means of reducing equipment and rental cost for families. Community donors are very generous with musical instruments and lessons, Young said.
But the Haymarket Theatre is the first theater organization to offer scholarships to Cedars foster kids, she said.
Theater gives kids experiences like no other, Tuckerman said.
“If you have ever seen that transformation … They start out shy and when they get on stage, it has a metamorphic effect,” she said. “To let all kids have that opportunity is really important.”
Jordan Deffenbaugh, Haymarket Theatre associate and technical director, agreed.
“There is something about theater that lets kids express themselves and forces them to get out there and do it,” he said. “As a result they can have fun, be themselves, can do whatever and can express themselves -- some of these kids have had a ball.
"And they make a lot of really good friends along the process. If you are with someone for three weeks, five days a weeks, six hours a day, you grow friendships that are unbreakable. … That is the biggest thing, we find connections with these kids they may not otherwise have. … I think they have been able to find some sort of ability in doing these shows that they may not otherwise get.”
That is certainly the case for the Lincoln sixth-grader, who has landed one of the bigger roles in “Robin Hood: A Folk Musical.”
“He just loves it. He is very musical and artistically talented,” Young said of the boy. “It is awesome for him. He is able to express himself and has made many friends. .. It has given him a whole new identity and whole new group of friends. It’s given him a chance to be a normal boy.”
It’s obvious the boy agrees as he enthusiastically talks of the show and the lessons of Robin Hood; as well as his previous performance in “Mulan” and a movie he made for You Tube’s “Make a Movie in a Day.”
“I get to meet new people and meet up with new friends and get to hang out, and just stuff like that,” the boy said.
“The only really bad thing, is that once she (foster mom) adopts me, I won’t be able to do another play,” the boy said.
Because once he’s adopted out of foster care this spring, he’s no longer a Cedars kid and becomes ineligible for the scholarship. “Maybe … if we can save up our pennies, I can,” he said.
“You know, really anything can happen.”
Reach Erin Andersen at 402-473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment