Giving Thanks...MAPA

The very first cast. "Thank You for the Music" started as a Friday night class at the Spring Hill Civic Center. After a few weeks, we decided to produce a variety show and it blossomed into...this. The cast performed at the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo and wowed everyone! 

In THANKSGIVING: This was a milestone week. As many of you know, I resigned from MAPA in September so that I could focus on teaching. It was hard to say goodbye and as the good board members and volunteers from MAPA moved 7 years worth of sets, costumes, props and sound equipment out of my garage I just couldn't help but think about how far we had come. I cleared out my files and closed the door to and organization I've dedicated almost 20% of my 40 years to. A little Friday night rec class that was filled with mostly Girl Scouts turned into a 501 (c) 3 organization serving hundreds of area youth. We produced over 15 shows in these last 7 years. When I see the members of the National Honor Society at SHHS, there are many, many MAPA alumni. The musical this fall had a cast of approximately 50% past and current MAPA participants! Becki Davis, Tara Crotchett, Julie Macey - these friends were there from the beginning and made it all happen - volunteering hundreds of hours, working tirelessly behind the scenes on projects where we didn't have a clue what we were doing...but just kept pushing forward all the same. Kim Gibbs, Brandi Sosa, Kaitlyn Spatz, Michelle Churchill, and Becky Fuchs joined us for a while, and new friends like Amy Castle, Scott & Amy Oberkrom, Sharon Mitchell, Alex Goering and Ashley Stanley came on board. We picked up steam and kept adding new friends to our pool of amazing volunteers. I could go on and on but after year 3, it just seemed we had grown from Becki, Tara, Julie and Sarah to a community of people who cared about kids and could see the value of theatre in their lives.

Performing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Spring Hill Fall Festival. We're bringing culture to our community - while shouting over the generators and bounce houses, LOL! 

Zoe as Tink. Unforgettable. 

There are many youth theatre options in Johnson County, CYT, Culture House, Triiilogy, Tallgrass, etc - all are wonderful and have something different to offer. MAPA created opportunities for our local kids that can't be equaled though...with a smaller pool auditioning we were able to cast everyone who registers. And - there are more opportunities for roles that require more responsibility placed on the actor's shoulders. Musical theatre with dedication to showcasing local talent and incorporating sound technology that impressed our audiences. We invested thousands in wireless microphones to ensure our young voices were heard loud and clear! Those mics created so many opportunities for practicing teamwork, responsibility and patience! It's amazing that a simple device can present vast amounts of learning, but they do. These opportunities also created character building moments. I witnessed young people facing disappointment and finding silver linings. They learned to cooperate, focus, follow through, interpret literature, and perhaps most importantly - HOLD ON TO THE MAKE BELIEVE FAIRY LAND THAT IS CALLED "CHILDHOOD." Actors can always go to that place...and be "Forever Young."

We have had opportunities for young people to write and direct skits, try their hand as a music director, stage combat choreographer, dance choreography, and so much more. Those "Hobbits, Wizards, and Jedi" camps were some of my favorite projects as I was able to collaborate with so many cool teenagers and adults as we produced our wacky show. And when I think of how many kids tackled the Harry Potter and Tolkien books as a result of those camps...I am overwhelmed. Just think about that...theatre did that! we brought these stories to life and while the "trend" of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings was starting to fall by the wayside, here in Spring Hill we breathed life into the series and got kids excited about these works. Wow.

One of my favorites - Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. What a great show and amazing cast! I had a dream team of directors with Becki as assistant director, Alex as music director and Ashley and Amy doing choreography. Good times! 

Rehearsal for Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.

In the midst of MAPA growing, our mayor (Mark Squire) approached me and my friend Shawn Jones about starting an Arts Council that would unite area arts organizations and provide input to City leaders on decisions about asthetic improvements to our public spaces. I was blessed to research arts councils, connecting with old high school friends who are working in the challenging field of public art, and I put together more than one City Council presentation to get that project off the ground. I'll never forget Shawn and my discussions about Art Councils, and what the possibilities were for a City that was embracing the arts. The Spring Hill Arts Council is now in its 3rd year and is finding its way. How lucky I am to have gotten to be a part of that.

The hardest part about saying goodbye (for now) is the people. I've really struggled with this and have found myself rather choked up on several occasions. I had a moment with Taz and Hannah at the Ren Fest this fall where I looked at these beautiful senior girls and I thought about the awkward 6th graders they were when they walked in to to our very first rehearsal. They have literally grown up before my very eyes and it has been an honor to know so many of these students who now prepare for their last 6 months of high school. What I love about these kids is it doesn't matter if they did one show or ten, they greet me with hugs, warmth, and recollections of fond memories.

Tigerlily (Macee) gets arrested by Smee (Haley) in "Peter Pan Rocks!" Our stunning mermaids in dresses created by Becki Davis and Amy Oberkrom are getting ready to sing "Too Many Fish in the Sea." So cute! 

Can I pick a favorite show that I've directed? Probably not. "The Little Mermaid" and "Welcome to the 60's" were very meaningful because I wrote the scripts for both of those shows. I'll never forget that my father-in-law came up to me at the end of "Welcome to the 60s" with tears in his eyes. He had served in the armed forces during Vietnam and our final number was "The Flesh Failures / Let the Sun Shine In" from Hair, prologued with powerful monologues by a very young Reagan Smith and Riley Pettit. Gene talked about what a powerful theatrical moment that was for him and that he saw other men his age in the audience get emotional as well. So while we had lots of spectacular performances over the years - that one really stands out. The other moment for me that was like no other happened just this summer. When we worked out the "All the World's a Stage" scene with a monologue delivered by Alex Kaechele that is unequaled, along with the nuanced flute solo by Kira Hephner...when these pieces were put together with the quiet, tragic, and sorrowful entrance of Adam (Ada) played by Lily Kuhn - who could hold back the tears? It was theatre at it's best. Rich layers of themes there for the audience to discover if they took the time to watch and think. Our audiences did just that and Alex's performance was praised by many. He's at KU now, making us proud as a scholar and debater. I'm so lucky to have gotten to work with him and that entire cast! All the casts, really!

The Music Man Jr. was SO MUCH FUN to direct and one of my favorite productions visually. Regina and Jenny rocked those Steampunk costumes and Lisa and Maddison designed an incredible set. 

You see, the thing is...I had no idea what I was doing at the beginning. I grew up in Lawrence, KS. That is a theatre town big time. I tried out for dozens of plays and only got cast in a handful. It was incredibly competitive and I lacked a lot of the self-esteem back then to stick with it when facing rejection. By high school, I had all but given up. As time went on though, I found myself continuing to love musicals and I went to see as many as I could. I listened to soundtracks and sang along constantly. And that was where MAPA came from. I wasn't an expert...but I saw a void in our community. Becki and Tara saw it too. Neither of them were formally trained either. Somehow parents trusted us with their kids and somehow we had just enough knowledge of what we liked to see on stage and we were all able to carry a tune. And most importantly - we loved kids and had time to give. That combination was enough, I guess, but I kind of laugh at how audacious we were to think we could direct and run sound equipment and manage costumes / sets / props and communicate with parents and kids and manage behaviors and and and...WOW. How did we do that!?! Oh - yeah. We loved kids. Plain and simple. Loved kids. The rest... just fell into place.

Our first performance as MAPA at Spring Hill Daffodil Days in April 2012. Prior to that, we had been known as "Broadway Review," a program that operated under the Spring Hill Recreation Commission.

There were growing pains. Not everything was perfect. The people who stuck it out with us from our first show "Thank You for the Music" to our next show, "Peter Pan Rocks" were very brave! But almost everyone came back despite our lack of knowledge about "classroom management." Their parents knew....we cared about their kids. And over time, I started to get the whole classroom management thing. Instead of yelling "Molly- quit climbing on the electrical box!" or "Ali - enough with the cartwheels!" (Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent) , I would say, "Wow! I love how Mallory is showing me she is ready to sing!" and then all the other actors would straighten up. Little things like that...I later found out this was classic behavior conditioning and a technique used by practically every teacher. While we were working on Pinocchio, I came to the realization that I wanted to be a teacher. I had been working on a B.A. in English with the plan that I would go on to law school. Working with those kids and realizing how much joy and hope and energy they brought me - I knew that my place in this world was in a classroom. I'll never forget that Janelle Carbajo asked me one time, "So, what grade do you teach?" And I said, "Oh no - I'm not a teacher." She replied, "You're kidding. You've GOT to go into education." That was the end of the B.A. in English (I still might get that someday...reading British lit and writing papers about it for 2 years sounds like and utter waste of time - AND pure heaven. But I digress...). Don't judge my typos on this blog as evidence of what I'm capable of either...ha ha ha.

Julie and Sonya at the signing of our Articles of Incorporation; Laura looks on. We became an independent non-profit in March 2012 after operating for 5 years under the umbrella of the Spring Hill Recreation Commission.

The next few years of balancing teaching, school, and MAPA were tough. I also came to realize that it wasn't really theatre that kept me coming back. We had plenty of requests to start producing community theatre and shows with adult casts. I never got too excited about that or explored it fully because for me, it was about the kids. I played Miss. Hannigan in "Annie" at GCT and I found myself typically hanging out with the orphans backstage (and Alex and Amy - who were like children, wink wink). I directed "Miracle on 34h Street" for GCT and my favorite part of that experience was working with my Susan (Kyra Fuchs) and the children's ensemble. I didn't see it then but I see it with perfect clarity now. It wasn't about theatre. It was about kids.

The cast of Pinocchio! We got to go wild with our creativity and make believe during this production. It was pure magic along with MASSIVE BOWS on top of kid's heads! These were by far my favorite costumes. The little French marionette puppets, the boys and girls in the land of toys with the propeller hats and gigantic bows...the crazy maniacal coachman costume, those darling cricket costumes made by Amy Oberkrom...I could just go on and on. 

I don't have a teaching job yet. But I have had 3 interviews (!!!) and I feel very confident that good things are coming. That is because of MAPA. I've talked to so many subs in Spring Hill who have told me horror stories about the dozens of applications they have completed and yet they are coming up empty handed - even for interviews. I know that my experiences with MAPA and the enthusiasm I have for working with kids has given me a distinct advantage in the hiring game. When I attended the KU Career Fair a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking to administrators from schools across the metro area. During each conversation I found myself smiling and exuding energy and passion while talking about the teaching profession. I'm so GRATEFUL that I had all those years to work with families who were patient with me as I was learning. When I screwed up, people forgave me and then I learned from my mistakes. The people who didn't forgive me - I still learned from those mistakes too! I have dozens of anecdotes in my back pocket that I can share at interviews about situations that have arisen when working with kids...situations that didn't always have a happy ending except for the fact that we reflected, learned and moved forward. Every show has brought new opportunities for me to grow as an educator.

As You Like It - the first full-length Shakespeare production. From left, Colby as Orlando, Alanna as Rosalind and Hannah as Celia. Incredibly gifted actors who dedicated their summer to memorizing hundreds of lines and delivering passionate performances. 

I can't say goodbye to theatre forever. I may or may not ever direct a play here again but I know I will use plays in some way to get children excited about literature. There are so many works I want to explore - stories that sparked my imagination as a child. I daydream about directing "Little House on the Prairie," "Anne of Green Gables," "The Bremmentown Musicians," "Ramona," and "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing" someday...simply to get kids excited about those wonderful stories! Maybe that will happen in my classroom, or future school, or back at MAPA. Who knows? Readers' Theatre is a popular strategy for teaching fluency...I'd like to produce Readers' Theatre 2.0 where we take it up a notch and REALLY get into it! Accents! Wigs! Moustaches! Peg Legs! Puppets!

This is how these kids spend their  nights...singing, bonding, goofing off. I look at this photo and see smart, successful young men and I'm in awe. 

I want to replicate Joss Whedon's infamous Friday night Shakespeare readings and study the texts with teenagers who bring incredible insights about love, loss, tragedy, passion, jealousy, greed, corruption, and power - all through the eyes of high schoolers. The discoveries we made during "As You Like It" about Shakespeare's message to us was like a hidden treasure. Alanna, Hannah, Jason, Colby, Lily, Christian, Joel, Kira, Taz,  Alex, Ellie, Alexa, Fletcher and everyone else each had a moment of discovery during that show...their own little Easter egg sent through time from Shakespeare himself. Those moments...pure magic. I know I may be weird, but that's what I call "fun."

Becki, Me & Tara. Founders of "Broadway Review." We took our girls to Legally Blonde a few years ago and decked ourselves out in PINK - of course! 

Am I in a position to offer sage advice to anyone about theatre? No. But I can tell you that one thing I've learned from all of this is that when you find something you enjoy, and you're good at it, you don't have to do it for a job. Becki, Tara, and I took something we enjoyed, paired that with our love of working with kids, and we filled a void in our community. I'm proud to say we were AUDACIOUS and BRAVE. We had our critics. People asked what made us qualified to do what we were doing. Ummmmm....we have kids? We like kids? That was about it. And as it turns out...that was more than enough. So what that tells me is that when it comes to getting things started and serving your community - just think about what you love. What makes you happy? How do you enjoy spending your time? Can you do that AND serve others? That was how I made community service part of my everyday life without even really thinking about it. I'm honored to serve on the Spring Hill Education Foundation where we award 10 scholarships to SHHS graduates each year. The award is heavily weighted based on community service and I love getting to talk to these kids about the ways they have found to help their community. I'm also eager to take on another volunteer project as soon as I figure out what my "new" life will be like as a teacher. I can't stop serving - it is a part of who I am.

Making memories! The cast party for "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr." with Faith, Laura and Mary Kate. Seeing my daughter blossom into such a confident young lady had a lot to do with her opportunities in theatre. She met her best friend when we did "Annie" at GCT and then recruited her to come act with us in Spring Hill. We love you Laura! 

Alex and Sara Goering are making me so proud as they take on their 2nd MAPA show. "Annie Jr." is going to be incredible - I have no doubt about that! These kids are incredibly fortunate to be have volunteers like the Goerings, Stevie Morris, Tina Allen, Jennifer Kuhn, Melissa Hephner, and Lauren Baxter who are willing to give so selflessly their time, talent and energy to push MAPA forward. They've taken on a LOT this fall and there were times where I know they were scratching their head trying to figure out my files, my process, etc. as they took over the daunting task of running this organization. They are doing an amazing job. 7 people is far better than 1 - and that is a lesson I wish I had learned a long time ago.

There won't be a day that goes by where I don't think about my experiences with this organization. I can't thank the board members, current and past, enough for all they have done for this program. I will always be around to mentor, offer love, and support. To say I am proud of what we have accomplished would be an understatement. With the exception of my family, MAPA is the greatest thing to ever come into my life and I look forward to the time when I've finished my masters degree and can come hopefully come back for more. I know the program is in excellent hands with the current leadership and I couldn't be more ...

grateful.

I got to be Ching Ho and Bun Foo's "Mama" at the end of Thoroughly Modern Millie, directed by Julie Macey. What a thrill and honor to have been asked to perform that role. Thank you for the memories.