Theater Mania, part two

All parents try to pass their values on to their children. Paul and I do what we can to encourage our girls to embrace creativity, love of learning, faith, respect for others, and myriad other values that characterize who we are as a family. In my last post, I described one of my values that I want to share with my children: live theater. 

I realize, of course, that this value doesn't carry the same weight as others. It won't break my heart if my children don't love theater as it would if my children rejected certain other values that are important to me. Still, I want to share something I love with them.

One tricky part of sharing theater with them is the expense. Our family doesn't have a lot of money to throw around, but good theatrical experiences often cost money. I don't want to take them to bad shows. That won't inspire them to love theater. I want to treat them to good shows. So this year, I've decided to work theater tickets into the budget.

In years past, I have taken my kids to children's productions at a nearby resort. These have be great experiences for them. The shows they produce are excellent, professional shows that are just one hour long. Young theatergoers can enjoy the performance without being confined to their seats for too long. At the end of the performance, they bring up the house lights, and the actors will answer questions from the children. 

This year, I wanted to expand my girls' theatrical boundaries. I took Juliet to see Phantom of the Opera at the Palace Theater in Chicago. We had to sit way in the back an account of our budget, but we could still enjoy an amazing show. Juliet, like me, was captivated. I'm so glad she and I had that moment together.

Caroline and Laura are still a little young for me to spend that kind of cash on their theater tickets. I want to make sure they are old enough to sit through a long show without a lot of complaining before I make that commitment. But I wanted to treat them to some theatrical fun, too. Chicago has many theater companies that offer shows for children including Emerald City Theatre. I took my two younger girls to a production of Ramona Quimby. Like the children's theater at the resort, this company offers a question-and-answer time following the production. I appreciate everything they do to make the event memorable and fun for the children. They are helping me in my efforts to instill this value in my girls.

Theater Mania

When I was a high school freshman, I fell in love. Not with an individual, but rather with an experience--live theater. That love has remained a constant in my life. Here's the story.

One of my high school teachers organized a trip to the Oregon Shakepeare Festival in Ashland Oregon. My readers on the west coast will no doubt recognize that name. Those of you in other parts of the country may be surprised to learn that OSF is one of the most respected theater companies in the world. My mother offered to accompany the group as a chaperon. I had never before seen productions as stunning as these. I was absolutely captivated. 

A couple of years later, my mother suggested we make a trip to Ashland, just the two of us. And thus began an annual tradition that we maintained for many years. We even went a few times after I moved to the midwest. It was the highlight of every year.

Over the years, I have embraced live theater in places other than Ashland. I have enjoyed Music Circus in Sacramento, big Broadway-style productions in both London and Chicago, intimate theater-in-the-round at my university, and the wonderful Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Every time I sit in a theater seat, I feel a rush of excitement as the house lights dim. A really good production, even simple ones, give me a thrill like nothing else.

I once saw a Russian-language production of Twelfth Night at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater performed only by men. It was part of CST's world theater project. I didn't expect to like it but in fact I loved it passionately.

In college, I participated in the stage crew for a production of Three Penny Opera in which the director emphasized Bertolt Brecht's idea of breaking down the "fourth wall" by placing the actors' make up tables in the lobby. Brilliant.

The show that transported me more than any other, besides those in Ashland, was probably The Phantom of the Opera which I saw in London. It absolutely blew my mind. I couldn't help myself--I bought the sweatshirt with the glow-in-the-dark mask on the front.

I'm telling you all of this to provide context for my next post. Come on back, friends. There's more to this story.