The Arts make for a well-rounded child

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Naomi Freidus
Special to the Bonanza
March 21, 2008

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Growing up near Boston and attending college there, I was surrounded by theater. My father was very involved in our little local community theater and I was so inspired by his confidence on the stage that I tried my hand at it too. In college I played the "fore-person" in an all women cast of "Twelve Angry People (Men)," and later an epileptic girl in a dark story about a young girl who breaks out of her confining life. Being involved in the performing arts was not only fun but it allowed me to explore some other creative sides of my personality. So when Incline High School put on the Charles Dickens musical rendition of "Oliver!" - complete with Incline Elementary School students turned pickpockets/orphans - my own memories of working in the lighting booth for this very same show came smiling back to me.

In this day when so many cuts are being made in our public school system, it is commonly the performing arts that are drastically scaled back or cut out all together. That is why it is so important to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all those involved in preserving a favorite school tradition - the school play. This year's production of "Oliver!" brought together a talented group of high school actors/actresses, as well as a cast of fourth and fifth graders who blended seamlessly into the story, creating a true to Dickens life atmosphere of a group of ragtag kids trying to survive on the streets with their wit and talent for picking a pocket or two.

Christina Cruz, a fifth grader at Incline Elementary who played a pickpocketing orphan in "Oliver!" says that "It's fun being in a high school play because you get to do a whole story with scene changes."

The kids auditioned for these roles and had to commit to a demanding rehearsal schedule over a period of a few months. During the try-outs Christina explained that "we had to try speaking in an English accent, with singing and dancing too."

It has been said that one of the greatest fears humans possess is the fear of speaking/performing in public, but not for this gang. All 16 orphans sang and danced throughout the entire show, English accents and all, without breaking character even while performing in the aisles of the auditorium.

"I felt that my role was very important to the story, so I didn't want to mess it up by saying hi to my friends in the audience," states Christina.

Many of these students are also star athletes, academic achievers, and musicians as well. Encouraging our children to experiment with various extra-curricular activities such as the performing arts gives them the opportunity to find success beyond the classroom. When a child can find that he/she has the talent or desire for playing sports, or acting for example, confidence is gained and it spreads into all other aspects of their lives giving them multiple dimensions to their character.

Last Friday, I attended "Oliver!" with friends and family, and we all took notice of just how much work went into each aspect of the production. Since then, every time I set a meal in front of my kids, they can't help but to belt out "food glorious food." Indeed!

Naomi Freidus writes a column for the Incline Elementary School PTA.