Every wonder what adjudications at the Junior Theater Festival can be like? Here is a video of The Rose Theater’s adjudication of #thelionkingexperience at #JTF16.
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The Rose Theater is a professional theater company in Omaha, NE and one of the largest in the country. We offer live performances shared from two stages at The Rose, as well as professional actor/educator classes in acting, voice, dance, musical theater, directing and more for ages 3-18. We are accessible to all children and no child is ever turned away for economic reasons. We have two “wings” of our education department and I head up the “Broadway at The Rose” side that focuses on musical theater education.
Watching our students learn and grow as they rehearsed their shows for JTF was awesome, inspiring, and an inspiration to watch my students grow as people and artists. One of my favorite things is to observe how “quiet” they are when they first begin rehearsals. Then as we meet again and again, chatter before and after rehearsals is constantly going on because they’ve not only met and worked together, but bonded as friends and cast mates. I love seeing these new relationships transpire and continue as students grow in our program. I also love seeing kids accomplish new things, especially when it’s something they never thought they could do!! I believe you can do most anything if you put your mind to it and work hard. When you pass that view onto your students, it will eventually stick and amazing things start to happen. Also, the teamwork and ensemble work that transpires throughout the rehearsal process is so cool to be a part of. Students begin to troubleshoot and solve problems as a team that will make the show even better.
Although I’m the teacher, director, choreographer, I feel there are so many times kids teach me. I may be teaching them about the techniques and etiquette of theater, but they are in turn teaching me about unfiltered joy, love, peace, friendship, and purpose. I’ve learned that the musical experience students have can be the highlight of our kids’ day and something work looking forward to. What a gift to be a part of such a glorious time in a child’s life.
-- Sue Gillespie Booton, Broadway at The Rose, Omaha, NE