DCT helps students like Campbell connect to their creativity!
Mom Stephanie shares Campbell’s experience at DCT:
“I don’t think I can count the number of activities we’ve quit.
Dance, soccer, Girl Scouts. The list is long, and finding the right fit for your child is an even lengthier process.
But for the past 10 weeks, Campbell has participated in an acting class. She wrote lines, she painted scenery, she came up with her character (appropriately named Uni-Kitty).
And today, she performed.
She got on stage with bright lights and lots of onlookers, and from the front row, I watched a little girl who used to speak only in scripts deliver a new kind of script with ease.
Today, I became an even bigger fan than I already was. Campbell/Uni-Kitty, you are a star.
I will always be cheering you on.
#autism #girlswithautism #autismmom”
– Stephanie Hanrahan
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Photos courtesy of Stephanie Hanrahan
It’s not lost on me that this morning when I looked out & waved back at hundreds of wide-eyed 7-8 yr. old guests, at least half were glowing black & brown faces. It was their first ever class field trip & I’ll never forget & take for granted their enthusiasm & wonder & glee AT. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. They were cheering, gasping, chattering, clapping, reacting, living! For at least one child of immigrants, it was the best day of their life & I got to be part of making that happen. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.”
I’ve been privy to some “behind the scenes” conversations about kids via teachers of kindergarteners through fourth grade, and the one thing I’ve learned is that these kids are ALL so very different. As DCT prepares for JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL, I think about all the kindergarteners and first graders I know, and she is just like them – very different.
In our new JUNIE B. play, Junie B. is now a “mature” first grader, more aware of her actions, and eager to impart her hard-won knowledge. She has new glasses, new friends, and newer insecurities – she’s at that awkward stage of life where she’s really learning to compare herself to others, and learning when to step in or out of the spotlight. She’s wants to be the outright best at absolutely everything – all world-wise and knowledgeable…at age six. Like many first graders, she wants to help, but doesn’t always want to listen. Kids don’t always know what to do with anger or jealousy; especially a kid like Junie B. who marches to her own beat. In JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL, we see her most “horrid” self in the form of the bull, El Toro Fabuloso: a character she’s created to represent her temper. Much as she tries to use this character to take responsibility for those complicated feelings, it’s Junie B. herself that has to learn to manage them. Here begins the journey of the lesson she must learn.
The elements that aren’t labeled are feelings, concepts, ideas; the things that are inside that we can’t see. These things are more difficult to communicate, especially when our vocabulary is new and limited. This is when an eager, outspoken kid like Junie B. reaches for the newly-acquired vocabulary words she knows. They don’t always fit, but again, Junie B. is a bit of a square peg.
She has a lot to learn, as all five and six-year-olds do, and our kids will have so much fun watching her make mistakes. My kids will sneak a peek at me while they’re laughing to see if I just noticed what she said and if it’s okay that they laughed. I’ll smile at them. Then, we’ll have a great conversation about how she fixed her mistakes, and how we have to think before we act and even think before we speak, because words and attitudes are important. I think Junie B. can teach this to our kids much more powerfully than a lecture on behavior.
JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL
Everyone, at all ages, has experienced shame – but not everyone has had help in dealing with it. Ironically, the antidote to shame is exactly what people sitting in shame fear the most: connection. It takes great bravery to admit to a fault or mistake, but it can be one of the most bonding experiences when shared between generations. It is as revealing as it is humorous to see yourself in the generations after you, and the usefulness of a grandparent’s perspective in dealing with these complex feelings cannot be overstated. As Junie B.’s own Grandpa Miller is always ready with a lemon pie and a teasing story about himself or Junie’s mother, we must also be ready to share the parts of ourselves that we were told need improvement too.
Now here’s an exercise you can share with your own brilliant troublemaker. Remember, there is joy in sharing the little embarrassments that have shaped us; they help us grow. Have a grandparent or older loved one fill out the right side, and a child fill out the left. Don’t forget to compare the finished product!
At Dallas Children’s Theater, we strive to make each visit a unique experience for our children; we believe in the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and helping each child see themselves (and their vivid imaginations) represented in our productions. This production delivers on all accounts.
Without the wardrobe, there wouldn’t be a story. But how did it end up in the Professor’s house?