Central Avenue School Drama Project                                                      3/21/03   Madison Eagle

Why would two apparently normal women hang around the Central Avenue School Auditorium after school twice a week, for a month or two every spring?  One of them doesn’t even have children at the school! 

If we eliminate custodial jobs, after-school care workers, and mental imbalance, only one possibility is left:  the Central Avenue School Drama Project, sponsored by MAASA (the Madison Alliance Against Substance Abuse) and the Central Avenue School PTO.  Our two intrepid ladies are Carrie Thompson and Caroline Smith, “just moms” who love both theatre and kids, not necessarily in that order.  They have been producing and directing  this program for several years. 

Before the arrival of Thompson and Smith, plays were directed by Dr. Anne Matlack, Mrs. Joanne Trimble, and many others.

Five years ago, when Carrie Thompson’s son, Justin, was in the 6^th grade, Carrie was approached by then-PTO president Pat Horn to work on the annual 5^th and 6^th grade play at Central.  Carrie was new to Madison and welcomed the chance to use both her theatre experience and her teaching background to get involved in the community.  I was her partner that year, and though I had lived in Madison for many years, I had recently stopped working and was new to daytime hours of my own.  My daughter was a fifth-grader that year, and I, too had some musical and theatre experience, though not at the professional level, like Carrie, who had worked on Broadway for years, and even had a role as the quiet nurse in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

            When we first  met, each of us was under  the impression that the other was piano-enabled, and we had visions of wonderful musical productions.  Well, we soon learned that although both of us sang nicely, neither of us was the kind of piano player that could accompany anything more demanding that “Mary Had a Little Lamb:”.  We also both had the impression that a set of directions might be in a file somewhere; some kind of guidance we could derive from past efforts. 

Wrong again! 

            Fortunately, Carrie knew what to do, and very shortly we were in the process of choosing a play and arranging for auditions.  That year’s play was a set of three, under the title “The Princess Plays”.  The children who made it a success were 5^th and 6^th graders at the time, and are now freshmen and sophomores in high school, many of them still active in theatre.

            The next year, Caroline Smith joined the effort, bringing her love of theatre and of kids, and a sense of humor all her own.  Her son had participated in the first year’s play, and each year since, Caroline has been directing with Carrie.

            Their philosophy of theatre with kids is one of the things that sets these two apart:

they strongly believe that the final performance is only one of the goals of the play.    For them, the process counts for a lot. 

            For starters, everyone gets a part.  Carrie has said that this may be one of the only chances kids have to participate in a play without having to compete for a part, and she wants to give them that experience. 

Auditions are held to let the kids get acquainted with the adults who will work with them, and to give the directors a chance to know the kid’s preferences and personalities.  Not everyone can get the part he or she wants, but much consideration is given to supporting the shy child, or the child who is often left out, as well as the child who loves to be on stage and has talent.  Caroline and Carrie see the play a vehicle for growth, in which each individual has a chance to take some risks, try some new skills, and work as an essential part of a group.

            Children who want to be involved but who prefer not to be on stage can become part of the crew, who in recent years have formed a solid and reliable backbone for the production.

 Everyone is given a contract to sign, spelling out acceptable behaviors and obligations.  Difficulties arise here, as in every  theatrical effort.  Some players feel they should have more lines, some are not able to remember those they have.  Some are not  acclimated to the responsibility of paying attention and saying their lines at the right time, with other actors depending on them.  Although the actors are young, there are lessons learned about supporting each other, being responsible, and feeling pride in that final performance.

The actors get to learn about theatre, too.  Children are taught about ‘stage-right’,and ‘stage-left’, ‘up-stage’ and ‘down-stage’.  They learn about blocking, projecting the voice, and about timing.  

Because Smith and Thompson feel strongly that everyone should have a part, participation has grown from about 25 actors in 1998 to 90? this year.  Finding plays to accommodate so many has been difficult, and Carrie has written additional parts, and entre-acts, short showcases between acts, to provide something for everyone.

            Each year the number of parent volunteers increases, too.  Parents work on set-building, costumes, props, and help at rehearsals.   The quality of work turned out has been amazing; there are obviously many talented parents in the community.       Thompson and Smith put in countless hours every year, and many parents assume that they are paid for their efforts, but this isn’t the case.  A grant from MAASA provides money to reimburse the costs of buying scripts and materials for costumes, sets and props, but nothing is left over.