I talk to my mom more than several times a day, so she was happy when I had something interesting to ask her, about my theatre background. She enjoyed talking to me about something we were both so passionate about. I typed the questions and sent them to her and recorded them while I left the room. I didn't want her speaking to me, more about me.
Why did you originally put your child into theatre? "A friend of mine recommended that she had the personality and precociousness to be involved in theatre. Plus she was already involved in theatre taking violin lessons and dance.Theatre was a natural extension of music and dance."
How do rehearsals, performances, and film schedules affect your own personal schedule? Have you had to sacrifice anything? "Well, growing up my daughter was in over 50 shows throughout the Chicagoland area and I had to basically create my schedule around my daughter's schedule so I was able to drive her sometimes as far as an hour away for rehearsals and performances. I often brought my work to do during her rehearsals and phone calls to clients. I would generally try to use that time well, surely I had no free time. However I very much considered my daughter's involvement in the theater as something we both enjoyed a lot so it was a joint effort and outside interest from school and work. The sacrifices that we both made were very much out weighed by the benefits my daughter received form being in the theatre world. I didn't see it as a sacrifice because it was so enjoyed and we met life long friends. Honestly, I miss those years and the joy, commitment, discipline very much."
Does your child like the family aspect of the cast and production team? "I would say she loves it, it is not a strong enough word. She become friends with people at 5 and 6 who she is still friends with. Many of the adult shows she was in, where she played a child, she has continued to be life long friends with these people who are on national television shows now and in major movies. She enjoys the cast and production team very much. It is one of the highlights for being in the show and keeping the friends afterwards."
What were you thinking the first time you saw your child on stage? "It was sheer emotion, I just cried because I could see her performing a few feet away from me, her dad and I were in the front row. I could see the joy on her face and the excitement of her being on stage. Without a doubt, she loved being on stage and for anyone who knew her, we did not anticipate that because she was a little bit of a shy kid growing up. She lit up the stage the first time I saw her and has lit of the stage ever since as my shining star. *crying* Her dad and I looked at each other and said "I know where this kid is going to be spending her childhood.""
What do you hope your child is getting out of rehearsing and performing? "She learned how to memorize, and unbelievable asset, and learned how to perform in front of a lot of people, the most a theater with 900 people. She learned how to be part of a collaborative group a people where you are a part of something bigger than yourself. She learned how to have stage presence and to entertain. She learned how to be disciplined and organize her time so she still got straight As in school while performing well on stage. She did her homework in the car and focused on the project at hand. Many different types of literature by being in adult plays like Three Sisters and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, both shows she performed in more than 40 times in Chicago. She learned all about music and dance and how to really enjoy being part of a show, all about old and new musicals. There was no limit to what she was gaining. Learned to annunciate, be an ensemble player, and to be the lead in the show- every single scene and song/ dance."
How does being involved in acting affect her work or school schedule? "You have to get your school work done. During tech week, you still have to have enough energy to perform well in school and on stage, which is no small feat for a child to accomplish. It is very difficult, but the adrenaline kicks in and it becomes an incentive to do better in school. They have to to continue being a performer. She was in 4 overlapping shows, but still did a great job in school."
How was you child able to perform in show after show? "About 45 shows, didn't miss any, didn't miss school."
What motivated her to keep going? "Being part of the show, putting on beautiful costumes, enjoying what I was doing."
Is it hard for her to not see the rest of the cast everyday anymore? "with Facebook it is easy to stay in touch, we could see other people in shows and they would come see you. the theatre world is a small family and we stay in touch and love each other. It is likely to see people you know at other shows. the children are given the same respect as the adults in many shows."
Why did you originally put your child into theatre? "A friend of mine recommended that she had the personality and precociousness to be involved in theatre. Plus she was already involved in theatre taking violin lessons and dance.Theatre was a natural extension of music and dance."
How do rehearsals, performances, and film schedules affect your own personal schedule? Have you had to sacrifice anything? "Well, growing up my daughter was in over 50 shows throughout the Chicagoland area and I had to basically create my schedule around my daughter's schedule so I was able to drive her sometimes as far as an hour away for rehearsals and performances. I often brought my work to do during her rehearsals and phone calls to clients. I would generally try to use that time well, surely I had no free time. However I very much considered my daughter's involvement in the theater as something we both enjoyed a lot so it was a joint effort and outside interest from school and work. The sacrifices that we both made were very much out weighed by the benefits my daughter received form being in the theatre world. I didn't see it as a sacrifice because it was so enjoyed and we met life long friends. Honestly, I miss those years and the joy, commitment, discipline very much."
Does your child like the family aspect of the cast and production team? "I would say she loves it, it is not a strong enough word. She become friends with people at 5 and 6 who she is still friends with. Many of the adult shows she was in, where she played a child, she has continued to be life long friends with these people who are on national television shows now and in major movies. She enjoys the cast and production team very much. It is one of the highlights for being in the show and keeping the friends afterwards."
What were you thinking the first time you saw your child on stage? "It was sheer emotion, I just cried because I could see her performing a few feet away from me, her dad and I were in the front row. I could see the joy on her face and the excitement of her being on stage. Without a doubt, she loved being on stage and for anyone who knew her, we did not anticipate that because she was a little bit of a shy kid growing up. She lit up the stage the first time I saw her and has lit of the stage ever since as my shining star. *crying* Her dad and I looked at each other and said "I know where this kid is going to be spending her childhood.""
What do you hope your child is getting out of rehearsing and performing? "She learned how to memorize, and unbelievable asset, and learned how to perform in front of a lot of people, the most a theater with 900 people. She learned how to be part of a collaborative group a people where you are a part of something bigger than yourself. She learned how to have stage presence and to entertain. She learned how to be disciplined and organize her time so she still got straight As in school while performing well on stage. She did her homework in the car and focused on the project at hand. Many different types of literature by being in adult plays like Three Sisters and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, both shows she performed in more than 40 times in Chicago. She learned all about music and dance and how to really enjoy being part of a show, all about old and new musicals. There was no limit to what she was gaining. Learned to annunciate, be an ensemble player, and to be the lead in the show- every single scene and song/ dance."
How does being involved in acting affect her work or school schedule? "You have to get your school work done. During tech week, you still have to have enough energy to perform well in school and on stage, which is no small feat for a child to accomplish. It is very difficult, but the adrenaline kicks in and it becomes an incentive to do better in school. They have to to continue being a performer. She was in 4 overlapping shows, but still did a great job in school."
How was you child able to perform in show after show? "About 45 shows, didn't miss any, didn't miss school."
What motivated her to keep going? "Being part of the show, putting on beautiful costumes, enjoying what I was doing."
Is it hard for her to not see the rest of the cast everyday anymore? "with Facebook it is easy to stay in touch, we could see other people in shows and they would come see you. the theatre world is a small family and we stay in touch and love each other. It is likely to see people you know at other shows. the children are given the same respect as the adults in many shows."