A+ Kids: Area Students Show Their Skills

By Mary Carter
Eagle Times Correspondent
Mid-September, I was invited to observe auditions for an upcoming youth theater production at the Claremont Opera House.

From 2002-2013, I was part of a dream team that made our after school drama clubs a great place to be. What was and will probably always be my most emotionally rewarding career, began at Maple Ave Elementary with a half dozen bright-eyed kids. It wasn’t long until I was writing and directing plays that, thanks to the hard work of our wonderful volunteers, got seen on our Opera House stage with casts and crews that totaled, per show, in the scores.

It’s been 10 years since those electrifying days, and I miss them. Therefore, I felt no hesitation in accepting a chance to watch and report on these auditions. I was curious to witness how theater-minded students had evolved since my days at the helm. I was especially intrigued to see how COVID-19 had affected young people who’d lost the ability to gather in socially productive groups.

I am happy to report that I was over-the-top impressed.

An audition can best be described as an arena of tension. It would be easy to assume that most of these kids would be sitting apart, mentally destroying their “rivals.” Not so. Even those who had just seen one another at school were exclaiming greetings. Some were accompanied by supportive family members and friends. In our terribly busy lives, that in itself speaks volumes.

All happy chatter turned to respectful silence as Claremont Opera House artistic director Larissa Cahill introduced herself and the play. Cahill was Stevens High’s much loved theater arts teacher for 15 years before accepting an opportunity to instruct at the American International School in Cairo. She has recently returned and, in her new position, is advocating for more area generated performances on this historic landmark stage.

Cahill will be co-directing with Claremont Middle School drama coach Ethan Laushance. Laushance has made a profound difference in the lives of theater students. This was evident in the way they all interacted.

The play, “A Seussified Christmas Carol”, is a rhythmic romp through Charles Dickens’ most famous work, showcasing characters such as Narrator One and Narrator Two, The Scrooge, Jake Marley and Timmy Loo Hoo.

The kids auditioning had the added pressure of reciting Seusslike couplets during an unrehearsed read. Did that set them back? Not in the least. Assigned mostly in pairs, these young actors consistently helped each other in a setting where they were knowingly competing for the same role. Now there’s an example we can all take a strong ray of hope from.

While these students had faced the lockdown effects of the pandemic, you’d never know it by their reciprocal actions. They were polite and professional beyond their years. They personified cooperation, collaboration and communication.