This is an example of the questions Jason and Lauren Morgan, founding directors of Stolen Shakespeare Guild, get every now and then. They’ll tell you this with a good-natured wink and a laugh. But perhaps a better question might be, “Shakespeare? In Fort Worth?” And the answer is (miraculously) “YES.”

Flashback to 2007: Jason and Lauren Morgan first began showcasing the work of their upstart theater company, one that dared to perform Shakespeare, of all things, at the Sanders Theatre, the black-box theater in the late and lamented Fort Worth Community Arts Center (FWCAC). Tenants of the FWCAC received unhappy news in July of 2024: the city was giving tenants five months to vacate. After almost 20 years, the Morgans, along with their friends Hamlet, Cordelia, Puck, and Prospero, would be homeless.

photo credit: Keith Warren

“We were just inundated with questions,” recalls Lauren of the initial flurry of the news. But soon after the die was cast, heroic board members, patrons, volunteers, and artists all jumped in to advocate, raise money, haul supplies, intercede with the city, and champion the herculean task of re-rooting Fort Worth’s only classical theater company. In December of 2024, with only 12 days left to find a home, Stolen Shakespeare Guild (SSG) signed its first-ever mortgage in 20 years of operation.

Fast-forward to now: Lauren and Jason sit under work lights in their new space. She’s wearing painting clothes, her hair up. Jason has been prepping light design. And they are both about to welcome actors for a rehearsal of the first show of the 2026 season in their new theater on Decatur Avenue in Diamond Hill, minutes from the Stockyards.“A lot of things went right for this to happen for us,” says Lauren, who still seems a bit dazed and undeniably grateful.

The Morgans have also been doing right by a lot of other people, too. They managed to remodel the space in only six months — in time to mount and perform their full season’s slate, despite not opening until July 2025 — giving their artists jobs and patrons their fill. The Morgans opened their new space to other displaced theater groups, including the Fringe Festival, which had its highest-grossing year there. They’ve welcomed a Hispanic-heritage theater troupe and a solo artist, both seeking a reasonably priced space in which to showcase their work. “We want to make it really affordable [for these artists],” says Jason, who then jokes, “The only people we might not rent to would be another Shakespeare group!”

But what is perhaps the Morgans’ biggest investment is about to take flight: SSG’s education and outreach programming. “I believe that classical theater lays the foundation for all theater in the future,” says Lauren. “Art can be built upon itself. Classical theater lays the groundwork for modern theater. [Kids] see it in action so they know it’s fun, and moving, and that you can emotionally connect to it. They are the audience of the future.”

photo credit: Bart Stewart

Hundreds of kids each year attend SSG productions at a discounted school rate, some of them encountering theater for the very first time. How do they react to Shakespeare’s English, which so many adults find intimidating? “We try not to put things on a pedestal,” says Jason. “We try to direct so everybody can see themselves onstage — so it’s relatable and easy to understand.” Now with a dedicated theater space all their own, SSG can explore extending runs, putting on more productions, and offering more hands-on classes for students.

They’ve already begun by offering Good Neighbor Scholarships to high school students at nearby Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School to attend their Bard’s Apprentices Workshop. Students compete in a monologue competition for scholarships, then attend camp to learn about classical acting, tackling soliloquies, sonnets, and group scenes. “Those kids are so talented,” says Lauren. “Some do have interest [in acting] but maybe don’t have another outlet to have the experience.”

The Morgans have a mandate from SSG’s mission statement: “Stolen Shakespeare Guild is dedicated to uniting and enriching the community through the preservation and celebration of classic theater.” Which of course begs the question: what IS “classic” theater? The Morgans define it as works that are classics in their genre, including Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Moliere, of course, but also Rodgers and Hammerstein and plays based on the works of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. Lauren points out that at A Christmas Carol in December, multiple generations of families enjoyed the same show together — the definitive example of “uniting and enriching” the community — even though she hesitates to label SSG shows “family-friendly” in the sanitized sense.

“King Lear may not be for everyone, but everyone has had a chance to see it,” she says. “And the musicals do bring a lot of new people in, and hopefully they will come see some lesser titles.”

photo credit: Delaney Rain Gebhart Photography

This sort of pragmatic, egalitarian sensibility towards audiences is a key reason so many of the Morgans’ diverse patrons have stayed loyal despite the theater moving up north. “A lot have followed us, and we’ve also been able to reach new people,” Lauren says, adding that there is not a lot of live theater available in north Tarrant County — in Keller or River Oaks, for instance. The Morgans are betting, as they always have, that Stolen Shakespeare Guild will have something for everyone in their new digs. And that applies to more than what’s in the season lineup.

“I think we need to figure out what things look like for this organization and what is the best way to expand,” says Lauren. “Are we able to offer classes? Could we do a teen show over the summer? More summer camps? We have more exploring to do.”

In the meantime, they’re busy mounting a Jane Austen classic, followed quickly by perennial favorite Oklahoma, opening April 10^th.

When asked to sum up the past year’s tumultuous, miraculous move in a single Shakespeare quote, Jason jumps in with, “To be or NOT to be!” He and Lauren both break out in laughter that feels both deeply ironic and genuinely tender. That joke is still a bit too close to home.

Lauren thinks for a moment, then offers, “This is the stuff that dreams are made on.”

Jason interrupts, “Is that the right play?”

“It IS from The Tempest!” she insists, laughing, but admits, “You’ll have to fact-check that quote.” The line she’s referencing — Prospero’s — has been paraphrased in about a hundred different pop culture references over the past 500 years (“the stuff dreams are made of”, “the stuff of dreams”, etc.), proving even the Shakespeare experts need Google sometimes. (Turns out, she only got a word or two wrong, and you’ll need to look it up to see which.)

Relatable? Inspirational? Against all odds, SSG has managed to be both this year, both on but especially off the stage.

The post How Like a Dream Is This first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

“The Wizard of Oz,” showcasing our talented 2nd-6th grade Musical Theatre students, will enchant audiences from April 19th to April 21st. Follow Dorothy and her faithful companion Toto on their iconic journey along the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. Encounter witches, Munchkins, talking trees, and winged monkeys as they navigate through a world of wonder and self-discovery. This timeless tale of friendship and hope promises to captivate hearts of all ages.

The Wizard of Oz
photo credit: Richard Massey/Stage West

Continuing the enchantment, our Adult Production Ensemble students will present “Once in a Lifetime” from April 26th to April 28th. Step back in time with this Hart & Kaufman play as it transports you to the golden age of vaudeville. Join Jerry Hyland, May Daniels, and George Lewis on their comedic adventure as they reinvent themselves as elocution experts, aiming to make it big in Hollywood. Packed with wit and charm, this production guarantees an evening of laughter and nostalgia.

Once in a Lifetime
photo credit: Richard Massey/Stage West

Both shows promise an unforgettable theatrical experience for the whole family. Tickets are priced at $12 each and can be purchased through our website. “The Wizard of Oz” plays Friday, April 19 at 7:30, Saturday, April 20 at 2:00 and 6:00, and Sunday, April 21 at 2:00.  “Once in a Lifetime” plays Friday, April 26 at 8:00, Saturday, April 27 at 8:00, and Sunday, April 27 at 2:00.  Don’t miss your chance to be part of these magical performances!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit stagewest.org/education.

Questions? Reach us at education@stagewest.org.

The post Experience the Magic at Stage West first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Carter was Fort Worth’s media mogul, who used his newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and his other media holdings, radio station WBAP and the Channel 5, the NBC television, to carry out his vision for the city.

Texas Newspaper publisher Amon Carter tells ex-employee, Will Rogers Jr., about how California is the greatest place in the nation, next to Texas, of course.
Photo from the UCLA digital library and used with permission.

But he was also a character with an outsized personality who loved to dress as a cowboy, who always wore a Shady Oak hat and sometimes carried a six-shooter for effect. Carter was unapologetic about his disdain for Dallas and was known to bring his lunch to avoid spending money in the city when he had to visit.

Carter’s countless contributions to the city include donating more than $620 million in grants to support art and culture, civic and public affairs, education and health, and human services. His influence led to major business transactions, including American Airlines’ move from Dallas, bringing Air Force Plant 4, now Lockheed Martin, and Bell Helicopter to Fort Worth and General Motors to Arlington.

To learn more about Carter’s life and legend, grab some tickets to the return of AMON! The Ultimate Texan, a one-man play written by veteran newspaper columnist Dave Lieber, who also wrote a book by the same name.

The play is again running at Artisan Theater in Hurst, 444 E. Pipeline Road, with performances this weekend and Sept. 10. The play was a sellout during its debut run in 2019, with shows in six Texas cities, beginning at Artisan Theater.

Productions were put on hold due to the pandemic.

“We’re tickled that we could pick up where we left off,” Lieber said. “The demand is great. Fort Worth and Texas love their heroes.”

“We’re hoping to extend the current run before we take the play back on the road,” said Lieber, a former Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist and now the Watchdog columnist for The Dallas Morning News.

The show returns at an opportune time, coinciding with the 100^th anniversary of WBAP’s founding, Lieber said.

Nothing about the production has changed. The show is produced by Rick Blair, a co-founder of Artisan, and directed by Connie Sanchez. Retired drama teacher Kelvin Dilks, who originally charmed audiences with his portrayal of Carter, is back again in the role.

Kelvin Dilks as Amon Carter in AMON! The Ultimate Texan at Artisan Theater in Hurst.
Photo courtesy of FWBP.

Lieber’s fascination with Carter began when he was hired by the Star-Telegram in 1993. Although Carter died 38 years before Lieber arrive in the newsroom, his inquisitive nature as a journalist led him to find out more about the larger-than-life publisher.

Lieber dug through about half of the 444 boxes of Carter’s papers, letters and telegraphs at the Mary Couts Burnett Library at Texas Christian University to weave together firsthand accounts of Carter’s life that are the basis of the book and the play, the centerpieces of Lieber’s Amon G. Carter Sr. Project.

Furthermore, after reading the late Jerry Flemmons’ book, Amon: The Texan Who Played Cowboy for America, Lieber was convinced there was a one-man play about Carter waiting to be written.

Lieber characterizes Carter as a “benevolent director” for his ability to use his media holdings to influence economic development and twist arms for charitable giving to causes he supported.

A native of New York, Lieber was a veteran newspaperman by the time he arrived at the Star-Telegram, where he was struck by the newspaper’s generous financial support to the community, which aligned with his own values of helping those in need.

Lieber attributes that compassion to Carter’s example. As a tribute to Carter, Lieber bought his own Shady Oak hat and wears it often.

“Amon Carter has been dead for 67 years, but his spirit hovers,” Lieber said.

For tickets and more information, visit www.amonplay.com or call the Artisan box office at 817-284-1200.

This article, written by Marice Richter, originally appeared in the Fort Worth Business Press and is shared with permission. 

The post Play About Amon Carter Back On first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Fort Worth’s theaters offer a myriad of options when it comes to classes and camps. The choices can be a little overwhelming, but I promise your little (and not-so-little) ones will love these programs.

Tad-Poles Stilt Dancing Program

• Theater: Amphibian Stage Productions
• Age Range: 12 to 17
• In a nutshell: Tad-Poles stilt dancing program offers youth the opportunity to learn the unique art of stilt walking and dancing while developing a cultural understanding of its West African and Caribbean traditions.
• Great match for kids who: Enjoy movement and dance, are adventurous, or just want to try something new.
• Cost: $100
• Dates: June – August 2022 (Exact dates to be announced by April at amphibianstage.com.)
• Sign-up Deadline: May 2022
• For more Info: Contact Program Coordinator Andrea Ballard andrea@amphibianstage.com or call (817) 923-3012.

Camp Casa – Madagascar Jr.

• Theater: Casa Mañana
• Age Range: 8 to 14
• In a nutshell: Camp Casa provides a chance for kids to rehearse and perform a musical on the Casa stage. This summer’s show is Madagascar Jr. which offers young performers the opportunity to MOVE IT, MOVE IT!
• Great match for kids who: Want to explore theatre, sing, dance, act with professional teaching artists, have fun, and make new friends. All experience levels welcome.
• Cost:  $1,200 – scholarships are available
• Dates: June 20 through July 8, performances July 8 through 10
• Sign-up Deadline:  No deadline, but Camp Casa fills up quickly; there is almost always a waitlist.
• For more Info: casamanana.org/education/summer-camps/

High School Playwriting Project/High School Playwriting Project Staged Readings

• Theater: Circle Theatre
• Age Range: 14 to 18
• In a nutshell: Circle Theatre invites all DFW high school students to write and enter One Act scripts for evaluation by an experienced panel of local professionals. The top four scripts are then performed by professional actors as staged readings in a one-time performance.
• Great match for kids who: Have an interest in theater and playwriting. It’s also great for those who want to watch professional actors perform one-act plays written by students their same age.
• Cost: Free
• Dates: The staged readings will be performed (tentatively) June 26 at 7 p.m. on the campus of Texas Wesleyan University (outdoors).
• Sign-up Deadline: April 1 for student playwright submissions
• For more info: circletheatre.com/hspp or email hspp@circletheatre.com.

Jubilee Summer Theater Camp 2022

• Theater: Jubilee Theatre
• Age Range: 10 to 14
• In a nutshell: Young artists will engage in writing, performance techniques, movement, and stage disciplines such as stage management, design, prop building, production management and numerous arts and craft projects, all culminating in a devised staged production.
• Great match for kids who: Have an interest in performing, writing, and collaborative work.
• Cost: $150.00 for three weeks; only 50 slots are available
• Dates: July 5^th – July 22^nd
• Sign-up Deadline: April 29
• For more info: Contact DWRichardson@jubileetheatre.org

Kids Who Care Mini Camp

• Theater: Kids Who Care
• Age Range: 4-7
• In a nutshell: Each day of Mini Camp is filled with creative movement, theatre games, and music. Led by teaching professionals who love working with children, Mini Camp helps kids develop physical and vocal confidence through concentration, observation, cooperation, imagination, and sensory recall.
• Great match for kids who: Love having fun, but maybe don’t know much about performing — yet!
• Cost: $400
• Dates: June 6 through 10, 2022, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Sign up deadline: May 31
• For more info: kidswhocare.org.

Stage West’s Summer Conservatory 

• Theater: Stage West
• Age Range: 13 to 18
• In a nutshell: The Summer Conservatory is an innovative program offering teenagers a chance to study all aspects of theatre through the mentorship of professional artists. Students will perform in a fully produced original adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, as well as help the production team bring design elements to life.
• Great for kids who: Have an interest in the professional processes of theatre both on stage and off, whether they are beginners or have plenty of experience.
• Cost: $650 – scholarships are available
• Dates: July 11 through 29
• Sign-up Deadline: July 10
• For more Info: Email education@stagewest.org

Adventures in Theater Camp

• Theater:  Theatre Arlington
• Age Range: 8 to 16
• In a nutshell: Adventures in Theater Camp offers a comprehensive overview of performance and the technical aspects of theater, covering acting, dance, voice, stage combat, costume design, construction, and lighting and sound design using teachers who specialize in their class subject.
• Great match for kids who: Are new to performing or for those who are looking for a multifaceted theater camp.
• Cost: $425
• Dates: July 11 through 22
• Sign-up Deadline: July 1
• For more Info: theatrearlington.org/acts/

photo credit: Anthony Chiang

Julie Rhodes has performed on many metroplex stages, including Casa Manana, Amphibian Stage Productions, Dallas Children’s Theater, Circle Theatre, Stolen Shakespeare Guild and Lyric Stage. She is married to Gordon and is mom to kids Drew (12), Madeline (9), and pug princess Eloise. Visit juliekrhodes.com

The post Is There Such a Thing as the Perfect Theater Camp? first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Indulge your inner Dionysus with an open-air evening of wine and folly at WineHaus on Saturday, Sept. 18. A live reading and performance of the raucous comedy Tartuffe, written by famous 17^th century playwright, Molière, will take place under the stars in the newly renovated courtyard. And be prepared to participate. A bell will ring every time the play’s title is mentioned, inviting audience members to take a sip from their glass.

The audience will get to mingle with the actors of the Premiere Cru Theatre company for toasts throughout the event. The evening’s fare will include specials on Sancerre and charcuterie française. Curtain time is at 7:30 p.m., and there is no cover charge.

So get your Molière on and enjoy an evening of theater and wine under the stars!

Win

winehausfw.com

1628 Park Pl Ave, Fort Worth, TX

(817) 887-9101

Although she prefers burnt orange to purple, Hannah Bush is happy to call Fort Worth her new home. She began freelance writing a few years ago to break up the monotony of her 9 to 5, and to prove to her parents that she’s making good use of her journalism degree. When she’s not hanging out with her cat, Hannah can likely be found on a patio with her husband, talking about her cat.

The post A Night of Theater and Wine Under the Stars first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The trip has been cancelled. My acting work is on hold, and so many of my theater friends are struggling. Thankfully, though, I’m still a mama. And I’m homeschooling. I have gone from audition-prepping, show rehearsing, and performing to overseeing lowest common denominators and dividing numerators. I’m sure you’ve also been re-purposed in a lot of ways that clash with your operating instructions.

Before the school district came out with the guidelines and reassurances, the learning-at-home thing was a wheels-off effort. For us, it started with a spider. My 9-year-old daughter Madeline and I had just seen Little Women, and the first day of isolation, she came to me flushed with excitement, shrieking breathlessly, “Let’s homeschool in the ATTIC!” I knew this would not work because I do not have Saoirse Ronan’s hair nor her military jacket. Nor do I homeschool, which bears repeating.

We pulled the cord of the fold-down stairs in the hallway, inhaling flurries of insulation, and climbed unsteadily to the landing where a three-foot foam tarantula and adult skeleton were resting comfortably. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t materialize. However, I did come up with another idea for us however that was very holy and felt 1860s-enough, and that was to light a candle at the beginning of each day. We call it the Candle of Learning, and it has become an important ritual to the three of us, even if all it illuminates is the Minecraft screen.

In theory, I should have some genetic strengths in the homeschooling arena, given that my own mother bore five children and educated them all at home from 1987 through 2003, when homeschooling was still a fringe anomaly. (Homeschool Bonus: none of the McQuitty kids are currently incarcerated, and one of us is a missionary!) I have every possible advantage, thank God — a college education, a personal background in homeschooling, plus enough financial security to be able to re-direct my focus in a bigger way than a lot of people I know. I have no reason not to be Marmee-Except-with-Air-Conditioning-and-Half-the-Number-of-Kids. Honestly, the pressure might kill me.

After our failed foray into the attic, we set up shop in the kitchen, with a “COVID-19 DAILY SCHEDULE” taped to the refrigerator. A rogue mom on Facebook had cranked it out like some sort of emergency protocol, and my 12-year-old son Drew printed it off himself and mounted it where it could be seen, because he apparently plans to rule a small Baltic state with an iron fist someday.

The first day, according to our COVID-19 DAILY SCHEDULE, we took a walk at 9 am. I found an excessive amount of satisfaction teaching Maddie and Drew the names of the trees. Oak, crepe myrtle, Bradford pear, pecan, magnolia… Those are the five trees I know, so I pointed them out. I also pointed out monkey grass and St. Augustine, because those are the grasses I know. Hawthorne and azaleas and holly are the bushes I know. I quickly learned Madeline was somehow under the impression that magnolia trees are called “Bottom Blossoms.” It took until Friday to iron that crease out of her brain. Another vocab word we learned on that walk was “cleavage,” though I can’t remember why. It was becoming clear this was to be a very organic process.

A friend’s kindergarten son told her he was excited to be homeschooled because he “gets to poop.” He doesn’t like pooping at school. My children are also taking full advantage of this newfound liberty, but it hasn’t really affected the COVID-19 DAILY SCHEDULE in any meaningful way.

The boldest, most swashbuckling segment of the COVID-19 DAILY SCHEDULE is Quiet Time for an hour and a half in the afternoon. I took a cue from an actual homeschooling mom friend who tells her kids they are not to disturb her during quiet time unless they are bleeding in a mortal way. If they have a question during quiet time, they may write it down and she will address all questions at the end. Don’t you just want to stand up and applaud this? When I presented these requirements to my kids, Drew was curious if he was allowed to “drink water” during Quiet Time. I said he could, although it wasn’t technically part of his COVID-19 DAILY SCHEDULE.

Of the all hilarious memes I’ve come across during this bizarre moment in history, a sincere and rather beautiful one caught my eye. “Parents: what we are being asked to do is not humanly possible. There is a reason we are either a working parent, a stay-at home parent, or a part-time working parent. Working, parenting, and teaching are three different jobs that cannot be done at the same time. It’s not hard because you are doing it wrong. It’s hard because it’s too much. Do the best you can. When you have to pick, choose connection.” (Emily W. King, Ph.D)

The time will come when I’m back on the stage with my friends pursuing this art form we love so much. I know New York City will come back in a big way, bright with million-light marquees, and that I’ll get to cross the thresholds of the Lyceum or the Nederlander or the New Amsterdam with Drew and watch him get all shiny with magic. We’ll all get back to a more honored version of normal that will, God-willing, include deeper affection and respect. If we haven’t done a lot of murdering by then. I kid. Sort of.

“You are much smarter than I remember,” Drew told me as I was in the midst of teaching him how multiply fractions. The Candle of Learning was glowing on the counter like a baby lighthouse.  “I haven’t seen it in a long time,” he added.

You know what? I took that as a compliment.

Wherever your lives are when you read this, I hope we’re all healthy. I hope we haven’t lost those we love. I hope we’ll have clearer eyes for seeing new and noble things — in each other, in ourselves, and in every Bottom Blossom.

photo credit: Anthony Chiang

Julie Rhodes is a freelance writer and actor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She writes regularly for Madeworthy magazine and the Tanglewood Moms blog.

The post Bottom Blossoms & The Candle of Learning: A Working Mother Homeschools first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

I could cry as I type this quote from the video below.

Theater is one of those art forms that seems to require a gathered assembly of people as part of its essential nature. An audience — even an audience of just one single live human being breathing and sharing the same air and time and place and space with the performers — is critical for a show. The audience receives the communication from the stage and responds, and that response reverberates back up onto the stage and incites more communication. Back and forth, like breathing, or tossing a hot potato or playing tag. This is the magic theater conjures: the communion of humans in real-time. And this is not possible right now.

Please watch this video. I’ve had the privilege of working with so many of these brave and wonderful people over the years. They’re theater-makers who are heroically forging through what amounts to a swarm of murder hornets for artists.

Watch the video, and then please take your seats!

Act II is about to begin.

photo credit: Anthony Chiang

Julie Rhodes is a freelance writer and actor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She writes regularly for Madeworthy magazine and the Tanglewood Moms blog.

The post This Is Only an Intermission first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

With this in mind, Fort Worth’s legendary Stage West Theatre supports and fosters the creative energies of the next generation with their Summer Camps and Conservatory, as well as their Festival of the Kid, a one-of-a-kind event allowing local young actors to portray pieces written by young artists with the assistance of professional designers and directors.

photo courtesy of Stage West Theatre

These summer opportunities for kids at Stage West date back nearly ten years, Executive Producer Dana Schultes explains she originally saw the need for them with her own daughter. With the addition of Education Director Donna Park, the programs have gained her extensive background in television and live events production as well as her passion for educating children. As Schultes explain, “Donna is a remarkable resource with her vast experience with agents, casting directors and auditions.”

While the camps introduce campers ages 6-18 to creative play through various elements of stagecraft, the Conservatory represents serious exposure to the world of professional acting whether in the theatre, film, or television for those between the ages of 14-22.

photo courtesy of Stage West Theatre

Using popular themes like Minecraft and Black Panther to draw campers into 1-week courses are perfect ways to give them a taste of the choreography, performance and design that may have otherwise been hidden to them. Dana Schultes adds, “We help them understand that what they see on the screen and stage is not real and with the right tools and practice they can also create them.”

For the Conservatory, which runs July 9-27 from 9a-4p, the experience Park and Schultes bring to the table helps demystify the audition process in order that participants can move beyond the classroom and into a career. Donna Park explains, “Every audition is different, because every director and project are different. So, you’ve got to be ready for whatever you may be called to do. It may be improvisation, or they may ask you to tell a story. And once it is done, you have to leave it at the door because there is nothing else you can do.”

photo courtesy of Stage West Theatre

Masterclasses with industry professionals give further insight into what casting agents look for in resumes, headshots or auditions, allowing students to get experience with mock auditions and feedback. By the end of the three weeks, they will be armed with a professional headshot and the skills necessary to successfully navigate the audition process. Many of these lessons carry over into real world applications like job interviews, truly any situation where it benefits someone to manage expectations while they remain in the moment. As Schultes confides, “When I graduated from college, I still didn’t know how to pick up the pieces of this career. It took me years to get an agent and figure out what I was doing.”

In addition, to these opportunities, the Conservatory maintains an aggressive schedule of rehearsing and performing. Throughout the summer, there is a commitment to developing skills beyond acting, including technical aspects and scenic and costume design elements, all of which enhance career longevity. Fellowship is integral to the camps and conservatory, allowing young people to find common cause with folks of different backgrounds. The women in charge recount moments of powerful inclusiveness and courage because beneath the inherent competitiveness of show business, the entertainment industry centers on the ability to make and maintain connections while building a network. This process of ensemble learning is inspiring, because as Donna Park shares, “It makes you realize you can present this kind of material in an aggressive schedule and the kids will rise to the occasion.”

photo courtesy of Stage West Theatre

These concepts crystalize during the Festival of the Kid on May 7th, 8th and 9th, which represents the culmination of the Neighborhood Play Project – encouraging young writers to submit short pieces. The chosen winners are then cast with local young talent and produced to create deeply rewarding experiences for all involved, especially those peers working together to make something new. These transformational works often stick with audiences, Dana Schultes affirms, “It is rewarding to see what the youth of our community are writing and thinking about. We shouldn’t brush these things off, rather we should reflect on how we are impacting the next generation.”

An Austin native, Lyle Brooks relocated to Fort Worth in order to immerse himself in the burgeoning music scene and the city’s rich cultural history, which has allowed him to cover everything from Free Jazz to folk singers. He’s collaborated as a ghostwriter on projects focusing on Health Optimization, Roman Lawyers, and an assortment of intriguing subjects requiring his research.

The post Fostering Kids’ Creativity at Stage West first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

When Rebekah Carlile enrolled in a cutting edge brain, mind, and education graduate program at UTA (one of only a handful in the country), she didn’t know where that road would take her. The program is directed by former Harvard University lecturer and education chair Marc Schwartz with the intent of using psychology and cognitive neuroscience to inform educational practices. Simply put, graduate students are tasked with finding real-life applications for recent scientific findings on how the brain learns.

One-and-a-half years after graduating, Carlile is putting the new approach into action through Story Stage. The venture, co-founded with academic language therapist Leigh Scanlon, uses the most basic of human interactions, storytelling, to teach narrative and social language skills by guiding students through the playwriting process. While the program isn’t specifically designed to be therapeutic, the learning environment has turned out to be ideal for many students who struggle socially or academically. Storytelling is proven to help children’s mental well being by allowing them to share their experiences with peers while gaining a deeper understanding of their situation.

“Through storytelling, we are creating a meaningful context for kids to learn how to take turns in a conversation and comment in a relevant and meaningful way,” Carlile said. “Kids come here struggling socially and find a safe place where they can be creative, make friends, and build confidence.”

The Story Stage playwriting process utilizes the most recent neurological findings about the learning process. Carlile’s work is guided by two models from cognitive psychology: Harvard educational theorist Kurt Fischer’s Skill Theory and William Powers’ Perceptual Control Theory. Fischer’s Skill Theory grounds learning in sensory-motor experiences that spiral through representational tiers to abstract levels of understanding. Powers’ theory holds that students are better motivated to learn when they can find their own path toward understanding rather than being told what to notice.

Unfortunately, Carlile said, many school lessons begin at the abstract levels (particularly with writing instruction). Rather than asking the student to begin with an outline like a Venn diagram, Story Stage staffers help kids connect ideas for conversational or academic storytelling by getting writing up on its feet, so to speak, with customized improv games and carefully selected performances.

One icebreaker, Two Truths and a Lie, asks students to guess which statement isn’t true.

“I’ll say, ‘I live in Fort Worth, have a pet snake, and own a plane,’” Carlile said as an example. If the students guess the lie (the plane) then the concept is written down as a potential plot theme to be used later. The goal is to teach students to write from a “truth” so their stories are anchored in something meaningful and motivational. As the classes proceed through 12 weekly one-hour sessions, the stories begin to coalesce through collaborative activities between students and teachers.

In scenes where children are asked to engage in small talk (building “exposition” in playwriting parlance) with their peers, another important learning opportunity awaits. Social skills are practiced in the context of a play, rather than isolated roleplay scenarios. Such activities, among other things, require that students understand what are acceptable conversations to have with strangers and what are not. Comments on politics, religion, and other people’s personal appearance are some of the most common topics that get flagged as inappropriate, Carlile said. By the end of the 12-week journey, each student has learned the tenets of basic story structure (beginning, inciting incident, actions and attempts to solve problems, climax, and resolution) and is the proud author of an original short play.

Through a collaboration with the TCU Department of Theatre, Story Stage students are able to see their creations come to life on campus. Theater majors at the private university perform each work to an audience of Story Stage students and family members.

One thank you letter from a parent highlights the program’s impact.
“I am so grateful for what you have provided Aidan and all these wonderful children,” Donnielle Lilly wrote. “To see them light up, gain self-confidence, and learn valuable social skills in a fun, light setting is priceless. I admire you both greatly for the work and time you put into this program.”

Each semester, Carlile and Scanlon see children from all over North Texas come to their program for a wide variety of reasons. Some of the kids have trouble recounting stories, others are developmentally behind in social skills or have trouble organizing their ideas for writing, and some simply are looking for a fun learning environment that accommodates their unique learning styles. All leave with an appreciation for theater, an improved set of communication and writing skills, and a new network of close friends.

“Almost all of our past students have returned,” Carlile said. “That feels good. I think what we’re doing is important, especially when I see the kinds of relationships that form between the kids and the sense of accomplishment when their plays are performed.”

Edward Brown writes about music, arts and news for a variety of publications. He’s an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and blogger for Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has published articles in Musical Opinion (U.K.), Canadian Music Educators Journal, and Clavier Companion,among others. When Brown isn’t writing about music, he’s actively involved in the local music scene as an educator, performer, lecturer, and judge for student music competitions. His professional affiliations include the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, where he volunteers as education director, and the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, where he serves on the board and artistic committee. Brown was born in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1982. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and currently resides in Fort Worth. His favorite leisure time activities include local music concerts and perusing Fort Worth’s growing gastropub scene.

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