ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There are many young people interested in the performing arts in some capacity, and the American Theatre Guild has a program to help further that interest.
“The American Theater Guild is in 13 markets, including in Wichita, and our Broadway touring shows all take place at the Century II Concert Hall. We're a non-profit organization presenter for the Broadway in Wichita series. We started an education/outreach program called Staging The Future, and it's really about working to put our mission into practice and implemented across our different communities,” Elaine Stolze, senior director of development and community relations for the American Theatre Guild said. “This program, at least in the Wichita area, has been in place for about six years, and across all of our markets, we started out with providing opportunities for underserved students and organizations that support underserved community members so they can have access to our Broadway shows, these high-caliber productions, and learn about the performing arts. We also provide educational opportunities that include master classes and talks so these people can engage with the cast members and others associated with the shows. We are absolutely thrilled to have been able to grow that program to almost 13,000 students, and those students are from communities from all across our markets.”
Though the program is still somewhat young, Stolze said there is already a lot to be proud of.
“The feedback we receive from our groups and the students who come, that's the best thing. We truly believe the arts are so, so important – they help inspire and empower individuals, especially students,” Stolze said. “When young people see a high-caliber production, like 'The Lion King' or 'SIX,' both of which successfully came through Wichita, the artistry and everything that goes into those productions, especially the music, all of that opens the eyes of everyone in the audience and gives them a higher appreciation for the performing arts. We hear all types of positive feedback with those shows, and it's amazing to hear those comments because for some of these students, these shows are basically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as far as access they might not otherwise have.”
And with the work that has already been done, Stolze said she would like to see more growth.
“We're wanting to really grow our programs, so a lot of our outreach has been in the more immediate communities. Liberal, for example, is about three hours away, and since there are multiple schools in that school system, we would love to be able to support more of those students in our program and give them the opportunity to come out and see a Broadway touring show and augment what they're learning about in school and broadening their perspective,” Stolze said. “Our Guild's president is from El Dorado, so this program goes to show a small-town person doesn't necessarily have to go all the way to New York or California just to be involved in the performing arts and an entity like ours. The bottom line is, we're wanting to continue to grow. Without the help of partners spreading the word about our work, we wouldn't be able to do what we do, and we want to go into more markets and support more students and give them access to these opportunities. We want to help expand that engagement with musical theater and the performing arts in communities, and it really takes a lot of people to help with our mission. ”
Stolze added she would love to see the program expand to more isolated communities like Liberal.
“It takes people who reach out to us who want to help their community and help us raise awareness. We'd love those communities to apply for our Staging The Future program, and they can do that through our Web site, americantheatreguild.com,” Stolze said. “There are also several educational resources we've expanded and are working on extending toward students and teachers and anyone else interested in the performing arts. There are study guides for each of the teachers to learn more about the history of the production and what it takes to produce a show of that caliber as well as how to audition and all of that. There's also information about different career tracks such as hair/makeup, costume design, tech crew, sound, lighting design, etc. – just because you're involved in the performing arts doesn't mean you HAVE to be onstage, and I feel like that's become more talked about in more modern times. A production of, for example, ‘Les Misérables,’ takes 250 people to support it, and it's a very small percentage of those people who have onstage roles – the rest of those people help with design and marketing and everything else.”
Stolze also offered encouragement for teachers to look at the site’s available education resources.
“Just take a look around, because you might find something interesting you didn't even realize you were looking for!” Stolze said. “We really want these teachers to engage with the arts with any possible opportunities because the more engagement there is, the more inspired these students will be, and it helps spark that creativity that can be used in other aspects of life. There are applications on the Web site as well for chances to see the show, and we're continually working to provide more of those resources for people to check out and use in their classrooms. It's all free, and these are resources from top people in this industry, so it's all legitimate.”
Overall, Stolze said, access to programs like Staging The Future could ultimately end up being life-changing.
“Most students might not even know there are different career tracks when it comes to the performing arts at that high level, and not all of them have to do with being onstage,” Stolze said. “Sometimes it takes a teacher or relative taking them to a show to make a student realize they're even somewhat interested – that's when their curiosity will lead them down that path of learning more and then applying their skill set and talents. There are so many young people out there who don't even know there's a place for them and where they can fit in. I would encourage people to visit our Web site, and we'd love to work with any students and teachers there in Liberal for any potential opportunities and support their programs, and if there are any questions, they are more than welcome to get in touch with us.”
