Spend Spring on the Stage with These Theater Programs for Kids

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Photo by Bridget Miller

“All the world’s a stage” is how the old saying goes, and whether your child has a tendency for dramatics or is simply looking for a creative outlet to express themselves as an after school activity, the Coachella Valley offers several different theater programs to inspire budding actors. According to research conducted by Dr. James Catterall of UCLA’s Graduate School of Education, students who take part in theater as an extracurricular are more likely to get involved in community service and are less likely to drop out of school. Theater participation promotes a more well-rounded routine for kids, and also provides a fun breather away from their academics. See which of these local theater companies would best suit your child as they light up the stage.

Kids of various ages are cast in main stage productions throughout each regular season at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs since it opened in 1997. For the second year, the Theatre is simultaneously producing a youth version of one of its Main Stage productions, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” The Main Stage show runs April 10 through 19, and the youth performances will be on select days during that time. This enables young people to work with professional actors while creating their own rendition of the show. Mentoring actors help train the student actors, and two completely different productions are offered to the public.

“Theatre has become our family hobby. We are all involved —the two kids, my husband and me. We volunteer as we are able, and we enjoy participating in the productions. It’s like families who get involved in baseball or soccer. Theatre is our sport!” shared Palm Canyon Theatre publicist Cara Van Dijk, who is the mother of two kids, 15-year-old Gracie and 14-year-old Ben. Both children have participated in the theatre since they were in elementary school and have been in Main Stage productions since they were in preschool.

The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert hosts an opportunity in learning through the arts by partnering with local schools in the community. Aesthetic Education, presented by the Richard Brooke Foundation, places the arts at the center of an interactive learning experience that includes attendance at performances and exhibits. Teachers and students who partner with McCallum Theatre Education are encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and rigorously explore works of art to awaken imaginative learning.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade will have the opportunity to encounter the world of live performing works of art and exhibits, and be actively engaged in dance, theatre, music and the visual arts. This year’s program serves 313 teachers and over 8,000 students in 25 local schools. 2,300 individual workshops are facilitated by McCallum Theatre Education teaching artists in partnering classrooms across the Coachella Valley.

Another theater that provides an outlet for youth-centered creative expression is the Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep) Theater in Cathedral City. CVRep has considered it a priority to present an annual production for Coachella Valley students that is culturally and socially relevant in today’s complicated world. Over the past ten years, the theater has performed for almost 14,000 students free of charge to experience live theater—an opportunity that is a first for some students. CVRep also pays for the buses to bring the school students to the theater. At the end of each performance, a Q&A is conducted by CVRep Founding Artistic Director Ron Celona, where the audience of youth attendees can discuss what they experienced as well as ask questions. Each student is also given a program that includes important information regarding services like SPRIGEO and PSSTWorld, where they can anonymously report bullying, and SafeHouse of the Desert and their app, What’s Up SafeHouse.

There will be a Spring Break Youth Program that will focus on a theatrical exploration of participants’ personal histories, cultures, and stories from April 13 to 17. Tuition is priced at $225 for the week, and children ages 8-12 and 13-17 are able to enroll. The theater also offers seasonal acting and singing classes for kids that will ease newcomers into the world of performing arts. Enrollment can be done online on the theater’s website, cvrep.org.

The Green Room Theatre Company in Palm Desert is a youth-friendly nonprofit that also accommodates young hopefuls bitten by the acting bug. The theatre offers an educational program in the summer for Coachella Valley kids to hone their skills in acting, dancing, and singing. Last year’s student-led summer production of “Sister Act” was praised, with its four productions receiving glowing reviews. This Summer Conservatory has been regarded as the most rigorous summer program in the Coachella Valley for theater, as the instructors not only have years of teaching experience but also substantial backgrounds in the arts. The Green Room Theatre Company is also home to the largest monologue festival in the desert, the Coachella Valley Middle School Monologue Festival, which took place at John Glenn Middle School on February 2.

Desert Theaterworks began their children’s theater education program, Kidsworks, in October of 2016. The program is designed for youth aged from 7 to 19 years-old who will audition to become part of the Kidsworks company. The children receive acting, singing and dance training in order to present productions at the conclusion of the session. The style is always musical theatre, but the music and material cover many genres to widespread appeal. Desert Theaterworks has multiple credentialed theatre instructors, costumers, and supervisory staff who are all pre-screened to work with the children enrolled and accepted into the company. The Kidsworks program has multiple auditions throughout the year to accept new members, giving more opportunity to all young performing artists in the Coachella Valley.