“Just pretend….” These are words that we hear in our house ALL the time. We have kids ages 5-9, and they love to put on shows and create elaborate imagination play together. They drag out the dress-up clothes and make their own props…does that sound like your house? Recently the light bulb went off over our heads and we decided to find a local youth theater program our family could become involved in. Most parents are looking for the right after-school activity for their kids–and it’s a lot of trial and error. I want it to be fun, build character, hopefully work their minds and their muscles, and I didn’t want it to be like pulling teeth to get them to go. I also didn’t want to be driving them all over creation, so we hit the internet and looked for something nearby. And to be even more picky, we also didn’t want it to be uber-competitive and turn our little kids into little divas. Does such a thing exist? It does! It’s called Christian Youth Theater.
Christian Youth Theater (CYT) is an after-school theater arts training program for students ages 6-18. Since its founding in 1981 in San Diego, California, CYT has grown to be the largest youth theater in the nation. One of our favorite parts of CYT is that they use their after-school classes in areas like acting, voice and improv to feed into the casts for their productions. In other words, the auditions are only open to kids in the after-school program, which fosters camaraderie among the cast and reduced competition for the roles. In past seasons, CYT Phoenix has performed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Music Man, The Hobbit, and many others. We’re in the homestretch now on the first production for our family: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. What a fantastic experience it’s been so far! The kids are kind, polite, committed, and TALENTED. The older teens in the cast are called upon to mentor the younger new kids like ours, and they take that calling seriously. It’s a safe place for kids to express themselves creatively, and thanks to the recent popularity of musical TV shows, it’s cool to be into the performing arts again. Theater arts may not be for every child, but we’ve all heard how kids involved in art and music do better in their other subjects in school.
Curious? Never taken your child to a live theater show before? You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown opens November 12th at the Third Street Theater. It is a funny, lively, and colorful romp through the daily life of the Peanuts gang. I would recommend the show for kids age 4 and up–it’s two acts with an intermission. There is something magical about sitting in a darkened theater and watching as real people bring characters to life before your very eyes when the curtain goes up. Visit www.cytphoenix.org for more information about attending the show or the winter session of classes. Come on out and support local youth theater–and maybe inspire a little performer in your family!
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Stephanie C. is the mother of three crazy kids, wife of one awesome husband, and a devoted follower of the Lord.
When she’s not focusing on those roles, she is a professional artist.
[…] Carpenter, CYT Phoenix mom, recently guest blogged over at Scottsdale Moms Blog. She details her love for CYT, and gives an inside look into their upcoming production of […]
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