The Kids Aren’t Alright

Danielle l -

Hello! My name is Danielle Lee and I’ll be performing my senior project “A Spoonful of Child Development Helps the Curtains Go Up.”

Ok, the slate is over. Let’s get started.

Yesterday, a kid undergoing a tough time came up to me after a rehearsal.

All they said was, “I’m so happy,” with the biggest grin. 

I’ve met children with shaky parental situations, some are stressed academically, and some just don’t know how to fit in. It’s hard for me to carry stress as an almost-adult. I can’t even imagine some 5–10-year-olds carrying more than that, especially while still in the early process of growing up. 

Theater’s a place where kids can unite, create something magnificent, and just have fun. When I directed Annie Kids, I got to see kids, some shy and some balls of energy, come together out of their shells to put on the first ever kid-led musical at the school. They created a memorable show to last a lifetime which was incredibly rewarding. When I saw many crying after the last show was over, I knew that this was a worthwhile experience, and I was so glad I was able to provide it to them. So why not take the next step by making my own youth theater masterpiece?

In crafting my perfect jukebox musical for kids, I want to create a piece that motivates and inspires kids to find their theater home. My goal in creating this musical is to combine fostering good child development habits with helping kids navigate their world with theater as a hand to hold. It can both help them chart their own waters as well as become better-developed leaders for the future. 

I cannot wait to get started with my mentor, EVCT teacher Breona Conrad. At EVCT, I can’t wait to help assemble lesson plans for the arts-based classes that they teach. It will let me get hands-on experience with creating the most engaging theater program for little minds.

Take 12 till next post.

Photos from Annie Kids in January 2025.

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Comments:

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    allison_h
    Hey Danielle! I love your story. It's so inspiring how you were able to bring comfort into a kid's life through theater. For your jukebox musical, I know it's early on, but do you have a general storyline idea or any songs you feel you must include in it?
    February 18, 2025 at 4:47 pm - Reply
    cason_t
    Hello, that's a very heartwarming story! Do you have plans on the scheduling of everything? I am curious to see the timeline and everything you plan to do. Good luck with your musical, I'm excited to see how it turns out.
    February 18, 2025 at 9:32 pm - Reply
    katherine_v
    Hello Danielle! Through your story, I can see how big of an impact theater has had on your life, and I think it is wonderful that you are spreading positivity using the theater community. Do you plan to put the musical on-stage in the duration of your Senior Project, or are you simply creating it for now?
    February 18, 2025 at 9:39 pm - Reply
    danielle_l
    Hey @allison_h! So far, I do not have solidly defined ideas, but I plan to at least brainstorm the general theme by this week. For songs, I would hope to include at least a few of my personal favorites into the project, but I'll have to see what works best. Trial and error most likely!
    February 18, 2025 at 9:48 pm - Reply
    danielle_l
    Hi @cason_t and @katherine_v! I realize I can probably kill two birds with one stone here since both of your questions kind of fall under the same umbrella. I plan to solidify the plot, characters, and songs over the next two weeks. I will then spend a few weeks writing a rough draft. I will then get that peer reviewed and then will make the final draft. After that is done (and this goes more into your question, Kathy), I plan to organize a group of kids to rehearse a read-through of the show. The final product won't be a full-on performance necessarily, but the whole show will be read and sang through with kids in or close to the target age demographic.
    February 18, 2025 at 9:52 pm - Reply
    nick_a
    Hello Danielle! I love the Mary Poppins reference and the inspirational story. I'm curious how auditions work. Is there anything you look for in kids that will be a part of your musical or play?
    February 19, 2025 at 12:12 pm - Reply
    meggiles
    Hi, Danielle! I'm just cheering you on. I'm especially eager to learn about your musical selections. Bravissimo! MG
    February 19, 2025 at 1:45 pm - Reply
    danielle_l
    Heyo @nick_a! Now that you mention Mary Poppins (a show that was an absolute joy to be in when I did it at Places!), I am having flashbacks to the time you dressed as Bert for Halloween. It's interesting that you ask about auditions. It was a concept that I was grappling with and discussing with my mentor, but I want my project to be one that any kid can be a part of, whether experienced in theater or not. I know that there will have to be some sort of selection process, but I'm not sure about a formal audition. I'm hoping to pull kids from several places I have worked/will work with including BASIS Mesa, Places!, and EVCT, and have them all come together in to perform the read-through. After all, theater is all about connection!
    February 19, 2025 at 10:08 pm - Reply
    danielle_l
    Giles @meggiles! Thank you very much for the cheerleading; it means a lot that you are greatly supporting my inevitably long but fun process. And yes, I am in for a surprise myself to see what songs I end up picking for my show. I hope that they can all come together to be fun for the actors to perform and exciting for the audience to watch!
    February 19, 2025 at 10:12 pm - Reply

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