Small cast allows educational kids’ theatre to focus on details
If Fledgling Theatre for Young People were a real (or mythical) bird, it might well be a phoenix. The group, which focuses on educating kids by immersing them in acting workshops and live productions, rose from the ashes of First Light Theatre, which produced its last show about a year ago after 17 years of operations.
Director Tim Clarke and stage manager Carole Crichton spoke to me in the auditorium of the George Luscombe Theatre following a Friday afternoon performance of Fledgling’s first production, Dennis Foon’s The Short Tree and the Bird That Could Not Sing. Several members of the cast looked on, waiting for their parents to pick them up — they had two more public performances scheduled for the next day. “Carole and I worked on the [First Light] production of The Jungle Book, and while we were in rehearsals, the artistic director announced it was going to be their last show,” said Clarke. “Several parents asked me if I would be interested in starting my own kids’ theatre troupe.”
From the wry ease with which Clarke and Crichton speak to their young cast, it’s clear that there’s no one better suited for the job, and for this first production, the size of the ensemble — just five kids between the ages of eight and 14 — allowed Crichton and Clarke to develop close working relationships with their actors.
“The Jungle Book had 23 kids in the ensemble,” said Clarke. “My original plan was to have [this] program with 10-15 kids.”
“To give detailed notes to 23 kids is quite a challenge,” added Crichton. “With five of them, Tim’s been able to really get into the characterization and growth for the characters, which has been good.”
Following the friendship between a tone-deaf songbird and a lonely sapling whose taller relatives are chopped down, The Short Tree and the Bird That Could Not Sing gave all five performers plenty to do. Aliyan Pooran and Tasman Webb-Apgar anchored the story as the titular tree and bird respectively, while Telsche Peters, Kiera Lewitzky, and Amelia Wilson bounced between all kinds of roles, playing crocodiles, snakes, snake charmers, shadows, stars, and lonely balloons among other things.
Clarke hopes to increase enrollment for future programs, and also to forge closer to ties to local schools. So far, networking with schools — an important aspect of running theatre programs for kids — has proven a challenge. Three elementary school classes attended a private performance Friday morning at the George Luscombe Theatre, but the Friday afternoon performance was opened to the public after no classes expressed interest — likely due to scheduling conflicts — a fact that some of the kids enjoyed rubbing in.
“The little crayon drawing on the [poster] — it says, ‘By popular demand, third show added,’” said cast member Amelia Wilson, as our interview was winding down. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That was a marketing tactic,” said Clarke.
“Oh, so it’s like other words for saying, ‘No schools wanted to come the show,’” said Wilson.
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have looked good on the poster,” laughed Clarke.
Nevertheless, for Clarke and Crichton, the show felt like a triumph — and, importantly, a real theatrical experience for the kids and the audience. “I really wanted to put the show on in a proper theatre,” said Clarke, noting how working with professional lighting, sound effects, and backstage space enriches the education the kids get from the program.
“I love doing theatre with kids,” said Clarke. “They’re not bogged down with—”
“All the boringness that adults have,” Wilson interjected.
“Adults have dreary lives,” said Clarke, nodding.
