S4E4: Stocking Stuffers— Winter Workshops & TIC

Ensemble Members, Abigail Leffler & Aaron White run down the list of all things Theatre Education at BTE and ways that you can give the gift of creativity to a creative kid in your life.

Transcripts of all Season 2-5episodes are available on our Buzzsprout website.

Check out our current season: http://www.bte.org
Ensemble Driven. Professional Theatre. Arts Education. Rural Pennsylvania. For Everyone. With Everyone.

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S4E4 Stocking Stuffers - Winter Workshops & TIC

Intro

[00:00:00] 

Aaron: Welcome to Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble Down Center, a podcast that spotlights our company, our people, our art, and our town, and where kids can take front and down center. Hi there. I'm Aaron White, Resident Artist and Ensemble Member at Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble, and I'm here with my fellow Ensemble Member and Education Director, Abby Leffler.

Abby: Howdy. 

Aaron: In this episode, we're spotlighting all things education. We got theater in the classroom, theater school, winter workshops, school matinees, our high school internship. On our main stage. So arts education is a big part of our mission, and right now we got it all in the works.

So today we're gonna talk about it. 

Abby: Yeah.

Abby Leffler - Education Director

Aaron: So, Abby, 

Abby: yes. 

Aaron: Tell me a little bit about your job and all that you do? 

Abby: Well, uh, you kind of listed it already. What I tell people , when I tell them where I work and what I do is I say that anything education based that comes out of BTE falls under my purview.

The only exception to that [00:01:00] is when a child is on the main stage 

Speaker 3: mm-hmm. 

Abby: I don't have my hand necessarily in that, in a direct way. So I am in charge of booking theater in the classroom or TIC, all of our theater school content and seasonal workshops and stuff like that, booking our school matinees for our mainstages. I'm in charge of high school interns .. What else am I in charge of? 

Aaron: There's something 

Abby: else I'm forgetting. 

Oh, sensory friendly is now on my docket. Onto your plate?

So, our, Kathy Baas sensory friendly performances that we do for Christmas and summer. 

Speaker 3: Fantastic. 

Abby: Like I said, the shorter version is everything education based is under Abby's hat.

Aaron: Well, I, do know that you do a lot of stuff that maybe folks don't see as much, if they're used to just coming to see our shows. 

Abby: Sure. 

Aaron: But we offer a lot of educational programming that is often coordinated by one person. 

Speaker 3: Yes,

Theatre in the Classroom

Aaron: You also have an extra hat this year because you are also directing the TIC. 

Abby: [00:02:00] Yes. To add to that education docket, I'm also directing TIC. Yeah. Which is the Amazing Mr. Franklin. That'll be a fun adventure as well. 

Aaron: Theater in the Classroom... we always forget that that's what it stands for.

We just say TIC. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, And, and, um, you've been on the TIC tour quite a few times, right? 

Abby: Three times. Three times. Yeah. I did... " Passage to America." "Eureka Too. More inventors and More Inventions." And then, all "Aboard, Stories from the Transcontinental Railroad."

Gotcha. That was the 

Aaron: first 

Abby: one. That was my intern year. 

Aaron: Okay. And that w when would that have been? 

Abby: Oh, you are asking rude questions and, oh, is that rude? And I don't appreciate 

Aaron: end of end of historical interest. 

Abby: 2007 to 2008. 

Aaron: Okay, cool. Yeah. Yeah. So if you were in school in 2007 and 2008. 

Abby: 2008 tour. That could have been me. That was when we had double casts. 

Aaron: Okay, gotcha. 

Abby: Monica Johnson was my counterpart. Really? Yeah. She did a TIC tour.

Aaron: Fabulous. Yeah. And, and, and it was all about the [00:03:00] Transcontinental Railroad. 

Abby: It was, yes. 

Aaron: So right now we only, have one cast for this tour. Yes. Yep. This is gonna be my first TIC since my resident guest artist year in 2013, 14, 

Abby: Which was Amazing. Mr. Franklin men. That's correct. Yeah. 

Aaron: So we're remounting it. 

Abby: Yeah. Uh, 

Aaron: for the first time. 

Abby: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: In commemoration of America's 250th birthday. Yeah. I haven't talked with you much about this because you've been thinking about mounting all of this and directing it again. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What plans do you have for this version? 

Abby: I wanna honor the idea of who Ben Franklin is or was, the thing that got me so. really loving, TIC was the fun nature of it. You know, You have your ideas and you have what you want it to be, but you never know until you get the actors and the unknowns in the, in the room. Right. Of course. So the thing that I wanna keep in mind throughout this whole process is the whole idea that no matter what you're learning through Theater In the Classroom.

That the connectivity of fun and imagination and magic mm-hmm. [00:04:00] Is what is going to lure those kids in and make them love theater. And, actually learn something without even knowing it. Mm-hmm.

That's my story, my first memory of BTE is seeing Elizabeth Dowd on the Oregon Trail,

Aaron: on the computer. 

Abby: Yes. Yeah. On the computer, on us millennials know what we're talking about here. Um, no, but they tour to, to my school and. I remember seeing Elizabeth Dowd, Tom Byrne, Danny Ruff, and Jerry Stronick. I'm always going to keep that in the back of my brain during that whole process.

Aaron: Just watching. Um, Of course YouTube knows me so very well, 

Abby: Ah, algorithms.

Yeah. 

Aaron: Uh, but I got, uh, uh, 15. Weird facts about schoolhouse rock and, how so many people remember the preamble or about what the legislation mm-hmm. You know? Yeah, yeah. Or conjunction junction, right? 

That as soon as you add rhythm to it, as soon as [00:05:00] you add some artifice to it that is repeatable.

Abby: Yep. 

Aaron: Right. It sticks in a way that it doesn't if it's just a, a dry fact on a page. 

Abby: Yeah. 

Aaron: Yeah. 

Abby: I wanna be that earworm in the kids. Yeah. You know, that's, that's the, is that the term Earworm? Yeah. Earworm. Yeah. Earworm. Yeah. I wanna be that, or I want you and the other actors to be that. Mm-hmm. 

This whole show is about Ben Franklin being a superhero, so what's more magic than that?

Yeah. 

Aaron: That's the thing that I remember the most is that we had to carry a kazoo in our pocket for the entire show because every time we'd said the Amazing Mr. Franklin, we'd do a kazoo fanfare, we'd be like the Amazing Mr. Franklin ba, you know? Mm-hmm. And by the, you know, at some schools, by the time we ended it, every time we said it, the kids would do ba blah, blah blah with us.

That's great. You know? Yeah. Yeah. Podcast listeners will have heard me say that Franklin is probably my favorite of the founding fathers. Recognizing that an educated populace is necessary for a working democracy.

Speaker 4: Yeah. Like 

Aaron: you need people to know what the [00:06:00] rules are and how to, how the system works in order for them to participate in it. 

Abby: Yeah. 

Aaron: And uh, I think TIC works in that spirit for sure. It's really funny because in the current political climate, anytime I say, um. We ought to, we ought to be spending more money in civics classes that both sides of the aisle go.

Oh boy. Yeah. 

Abby: Yeah. Well, yeah, because a lot of people, I mean, I'm gonna out my son here. Mm-hmm. But every time he doesn't wanna go to school, he's like, what? Can I learn in school that Google won't teach me? And I'm just like, you are missing the point here. Someone had to go to school to provide the service of Google.

Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. 

Abby: And 

Speaker 3: that's 

Aaron: right. 

Abby: There's a lot of points I can make here. Son, just get your shoes on, grab your backpack, and let's go to the bus stop. Well, and 

Aaron: Google's job is to sell you things not to educate you. Right. Too true.

Booking a TIC Show

Aaron: Anyway. Anyway. So tell me if you are [00:07:00] a school administrator or if you are a parent and you're hearing this podcast and you would like your school to book a show 

Abby: mm-hmm.

Aaron: How would they go about doing that? 

Abby: Uh, there's several options., If you are a forgetful person, you can look us up on the website@bte.org. Mm-hmm. And find our theater in the classroom page, which is under the arts and education tab. There's no reason why anyone should get lost. I'm giving you direct directions, go into the arts and education page and Theater In the Classroom will be there. There will be a fill in the blank form you can do, and I'll get a direct email saying that, "Hey, I'm interested," or you can email me directly at abigail l@bte.org.

Yes, it's Abigail, A-B-I-G-A-I-L, another l, bte.org. It looks like a typo, but that is my email. 

Aaron: Abigail for Leffler? 

Abby: Yes, Abigail for loeffler. Um, and, uh, you can email me directly and ask, and I'll answer your [00:08:00] questions and get back to you as soon as you can. Or you can just call us at BTE if that's your preference as well, and I'll call you back.

Aaron: There you go. It's been a while since I've gone out on a TIC tour, so it'll be 

Abby: Yeah, 

Aaron: be a different, a different endeavor for sure. 

Abby: It will be, yeah. Yeah, I, I think of you often when I'm like thinking of it and planning it and, and I remember when I was 20 something going on TIC tours and versus 40 something.

Yeah, yeah, 

Aaron: yeah. 

Abby: I'll be checking in on you a lot, Aaron. White!

Aaron: Oh, that's that. That's very sweet of you. Yeah, that's very sweet. But it's 

Abby: very important that our audiences should know, um, and our listeners should know that the tour is March 16th through May 8th. Okay. So those are the bookable dates.

Gotcha. Yeah. So 

Aaron: beginning in March, 

Abby: mid-March Yep. 

Aaron: And then ending, uh, early May. 

Abby: Correct. 

Aaron: Yeah. Okay, cool. We'll be out in Pennsylvania during the springtime. Mm-hmm. So that'll be nice. Mm-hmm. 

Abby: Yeah. It'll be pretty. 

Aaron: Yeah. Cool.

Winter Workshops

Aaron: Well, um, before spring... 

Abby: mm-hmm. 

Aaron: There's also [00:09:00] winter. 

Abby: There is. 

Aaron: That's how seasons go.

Abby: Yeah. That's what school teaches us. 

Aaron: Hold onto your hats for this segue. So, uh, Winter Workshops are on sale will be on sale. 

They're available right now. Yep. Yeah. Winter workshops are on sale right now. 

Abby: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: Why don't you run us through what offerings we have. They start up in January, 

Abby: The first weekend in January.

I believe it's january 3rd is the Saturday. 

Aaron: Mm-hmm.

Winter workshop's an awesome way for you to try theater without having to like, commit too hard, right? So if you are someone who thinks you like theater or you're interested in it, but you're not sure, find one of, the subjects that strikes your fancy the most and sign up for that workshop and give it a shot.

The classes are three hours long on a Saturday, and there's one in the morning, one in the afternoon. , Usually it's for different age ranges. And the topics vary given each week, Makes an excellent... stocking stuffer. 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. Just 

Abby: putting that out there for people. I'm [00:10:00] happy to make gift certificates.

Aaron: All you Santa Clauses out there.

Uh, yeah. 

Abby: Yeah. I'll use Santa Clauss out there who are already planning first. I'm jealous. Second. I'm happy to help.

This year I decided, I've been working at BTE for six years. Mm-hmm. , I decided that I would look back on all of my data of past winter workshops and I'm taking what our audiences and our supporters love the most.

And I'm giving the people what they want. And we're going to be remounting all of those popular workshops and hopefully people are as excited as I am. For the first week puppet theater for the youngsters, we make different kinds of puppets , think sock puppets, puppets, stick puppets, stuff like that. Get ready to get messy.

The next weekend, January 10th, is, our improv weekend.

Aaron: What's exciting about this improv is that there, there's improv for kids.

Yes. But then there is also improv for... 

Abby: Adults! A person interested in [00:11:00] improv. Or you just want a night of silliness with fellow adults? Yeah. Please register for this workshop. We did it the first winter workshop I did while here at BTE. It oversold out. Very cool. And we had a ton of fun. Adults pay extra close attention: within that registration each, student will get one free beverage of their choice. Oh, that's fun. Yeah. Yeah. Anything after that one beverage you are welcome to, we will provide, but you gotta pay, you gotta fork it over.

And then of course for the kids, we will have a ton of fun as well. The kids always love improv and that one did also oversell out the last time we did this. 

Speaker 3: Very cool. So 

Abby: that's our second week,

Our third week, January 17th is character creation. This is for our younger ones. It's less messy, more creativity in like the brain space and how you use your body to tell stories

Aaron: so like your five-year-old through eight year olds are in the morning, and then your nine through 12 year olds are in [00:12:00] the afternoon. 

Abby: Correct. 

Aaron: Okay, cool. Yeah. Yeah. 

Abby: It'll be a lot of imagination work and body work and how to focus that and direct it where it needs to go, how to share that space with other characters that might be in your space.

Speaker 3: Cool. 

Abby: This is one that I'm excited about too. This one also sold out the fourth weekend, January 24th. 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Abby: It's called Audition Prep, but we themed it according to the summer show. 

Speaker 3: Yes. 

Abby: So last time we did it, it was for Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

So like we had, we focused all of the audition material and the lesson planning around that summer show. This year it's going to be for our summer show, Elephant and Piggy. 

Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

Abby: So if you want a little. Sneak peek of what that script might look like.

If you wanna sneak peek of like the songs, stuff like that. I can't speak to the complete accuracy of what I'm saying 'cause I'm not the director. 

Aaron: But the director happens to be sitting across the way from you. Yes, yes, yes. 

Abby: And he is not saying no. So I'm just gonna keep talking. We will give you tips In [00:13:00] terms of how to best audition when the auditions come up. 

Aaron: I don't know when the last time that we did a musical in the summer, but yeah. I dunno. But Elephant and Piggy is a musical and there are three roles. The Squirrelettes that are gonna be going to teens, so folks in high school, the harmonies are pretty complex. So we're looking for some older kids with some good ears. I would say that the Squirrelettes sing just as many songs as an Elephant and Piggy do, um, the leads. And, uh, and they're gonna have a lot of fun. If you wanna do the two to five slot that day, and you're a high schooler and are interested in working as a musical performer in any venue, but particularly BTE, you should come check that out.

And then the youngers, are very, very funny cartoon characters, and so they'll be dancing quite a bit. 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: Um, so there'll be some movement and components to it.

And also knowing how to land a punchline is gonna be super important because Elephant Piggy are a fun bunch.

Abby: I'm excited too. It should be a lot of fun. It'll give a good little headstart to people. I wanna make it plain that this [00:14:00] by no means gives favoritism or guarantees your casting in the summer show. Mm-hmm. What we teach will help you be better prepared for the summer auditions. However, it'll also be applicable to other audition spaces as well. Okay. So keep that in mind.

Aaron: Elephant and Piggy auditions will be on March 7th. We're actually doing 'em a little earlier this year. Mm-hmm. Um, so that folks can plan their summers. Um, but if, uh, folks are. Interested in gaining those skills, that that's when they can employ them.

Mm-hmm. So they can go through winter workshops and be ready for those auditions in March. Yeah. You 

Abby: have a whole month and a half to take the class and then prep for the auditions and bone up. Yeah.

Aaron: How about January 31st? 

Abby: January 31st will be a fun one. It is stage combat. So what we will be focusing on during that week is a lot of all those slaps punches, kicks, all the fighting that you might have in a show.

Aaron: These kind of classes are [00:15:00] fantastic for people who like to fight and are very excited about fighting. If you are a Marvel movie action movie fan mm-hmm. It's a great time to learn the tricks of the trade that way. But also it's really great if you are frightened of stage combat.

Mm-hmm. , Because it gives you a system to work on for safety and how to actually go at those beats of violence, but also beats of dance or movement with confidence. Mm-hmm. Because we're breaking it down piece by piece and learning it slow. Right. That you're never learning, you're never doing a fight at full speed. You're always learning it in super slowmo. You practice it at half speed and then you perform it at three quarter speed. 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: If those sorts of skills are interesting, and maybe it might be a little scary for you, then this is an open invitation to those individuals because, um, it can really help you break those things down.

Abby: I always find it once you put it all together, when you're doing it at that half or three quarter speed, it's a lot of fun. 

Aaron: Yeah. 'cause ultimately you're trying to tell a story, right? Yeah. Yeah. And if it's too [00:16:00] fast, then the audience can't see the story.

And, and we we're more worried about the person doing it as opposed to the character. Who's going through something. So 

Abby: yeah, for sure. 

Aaron: I don't know if you can tell, but it's one of those classes that sometimes I teach. Yes. Yes. 

Abby: Yeah, Aaron is well versed in stage combat is I just show up and learn.

our final week, February 7th is two different subjects in the morning, our ever popular stage makeup workshop. This is for 12 and older this will be primarily for people who. Love to get a leg up on makeup techniques for the stage, whether that be like the contour stuff all the way to fantasy makeup.

Like, I don't wanna look like a deer or, uh, the gory stuff like blood and, and bruises and wounds. 

Aaron: I just, I am I, and no offense to anyone who's walking around saying, I wanna look like a deer. I wanna look like a deer. Yeah. You never know. I wanna look like [00:17:00] a rabbit. I think one of my very favorite, , fantasy ones had a friend of mine who made fish scales out of fishnets.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And is so effective. It was such a cool technique. You can also 

Abby: do snake scales that way too. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah. We cover all those basics and stuff like that. So if you wanna learn the basics that help build to those final products, this is an awesome workshop for you.

Speaker 3: And then 

Abby: our final workshop in the afternoon. Accents, dialects, and voices. Mm-hmm. So we do three hours of accents, whether they're common ones or uncommon ones and silly voices. Because all the characters I play might not sound like Abby Leffler.

So having the knowledge base to shift your voice where it needs to go is. Well, important but also fun. 

Aaron: One of the ways I like to approach a character often is how they speak. That can be a really great way, particularly if, you feel like you're always cast in the same part or, [00:18:00] uh, you wish you were from somewhere else, which, you know, that can happen.

Yeah. Uh. One of the fun things about this class is that you get to be for a little while. Yeah. You get to change the way you speak. And that's how people kind of know you first. They see you and then they hear you. And one of the quickest ways to change into a character is that they sound different.

It's an important tool, as you're working. 'cause I grew up, I, I grew up in Northumberland County and we talk a certain way and get all dutchified and then, you know, people form opinions about you. Mm. They do. And if you switch into a British dialect, people have different opinions. Yes. Uh, and also, um, if you're just American, that's one way, but you can also be American.

Yeah. Right. And so learning those little nudges to your own, speech style. Impact the way that , people will expect things from you. Yeah. 

Abby: And I think we'll have a fun, silly time [00:19:00] in an environment of experimentation. Cause that's really how you develop a voice for a character is through experimenting.

That is one of the things that I do as well. Much to my children's chagrin, a thing I practice at home quite a lot, I grew up with a mom who used to mimic people's accents without even knowing it, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. So it's one of those, like, it's ingrained in me to change my voice.

Aaron: It's a very human, I think it's a human thing. We are conditioned to try to fit in so that mm-hmm. Within whatever social group we are, because that's how you survive. Like back, back in tribal days when we lived in small groups of people and we had to hunt and fish survival depended upon the group's ability to feed itself.

Speaker 4: Yeah. 

Aaron: One of the ways to do that was how can I conform so that the people will accept me? 

Abby: Right. 

Aaron: So that I can keep eating 

Abby: mm-hmm. And survive. Yeah. 

Aaron: And so, um, that, that sort of hearing the way people talk and [00:20:00] conforming to the way people talk mm-hmm. Is actually , a evolutionary, skill that we learn in our brain development in order to survive.

Huh. 

Abby: Yeah, the more you know America.

What you can do with your Skills

Aaron: Right now I'm in the midst of directing a kid show at BTE.

Mm-hmm. Or a show that is carried by kids. Our holiday show is a Charlie Brown Christmas, and we are about to go into technical rehearsals. Uh, when people hear this podcast, it'll be on its feet. It'll be performing in front of people and. It is 20 kids, it's 20 community kids from around the area, two casts of 10.

And so many of those kids are kids that have gone through our theater school programming. 

Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: If you or dream of, of being on the stage or being in movies or whatever, it's a really great place to cut your teeth and, and learn. And so both of our Charlie Browns went through theater school.

Um mm-hmm. And I would say that [00:21:00] one that I can think of, I, I remember auditioning a couple times and not, and not being successful. We used to not be able to hear him at auditions and his confidence was really low.

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: And having gone through. Theater school classes. Seeing how much he grew through the process, and now you just see him like. I know what my body is. I know how to say the things. I know how to turn on intention and, and really commit to something. And I, I mean, part of that is just him growing. 

Abby: Yeah. 

Aaron: But the other part is that he put himself in situations where he could grow. 

Abby: Yeah. And gain the confidence to put yourself out there.

Aaron: That's an example of a lot of kids that go through those programs. , It's a great on-ramp for us to learn who you are. Mm-hmm. Uh, because BTE performers teach those classes as well, and we get to know your face and we get to know who you are.

Abby: And they also talk to me, the person who teaches most of them. So I'm [00:22:00] able to give them insight as well. Yeah, that's true. 

Aaron: Yeah. Abby's right across the way from us. Yeah. We share our office space, so, um. And so we, we all sort of collectively revel when a kid breaks through skill-wise. 

Abby: Oh my gosh. It's such a good feeling.

Aaron: Yeah. 

Abby: Sometimes I will lose that student to the main stages, like they'll stop taking theater school classes, but that's okay. Mm-hmm. You know, like that. If that was their goal and that's what they achieved, then like, I did my job, man. Like that. Great. Perfect. Go on. I miss you. 

Speaker 4: Yeah. 

Abby: But you know, it's, it's a good feeling to know, uh, when you ha like when you see that child who started out maybe shy and a little scared of trying this theater school class, like bake and like, and understand and listen and learn and, and then finally apply it successfully.

It is such a good feeling. 

Aaron: That is the thing I probably miss the most. 'cause I used to teach at university. Yes, yes. Um, speaking [00:23:00] of speech styles and, uh, 

Abby: professor 

Aaron: White. Yes. I never spoke that way at school. 

Abby: That's the only way I imagined it. 

Aaron: Professor White? Yes. No, no. They would all call me Aaron.

But I miss, that sort of nurturing and then that sense of accomplishment when someone finally gets an idea. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, 

Aaron: yeah. The joy of presenting a difficult concept or a concept that is frustrating to people and then finding their way to achieving it or understanding it mm-hmm.

In a deeper way.

The Mission

Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah. 

Aaron: Arts education is a major mission for BTE. That's why in our mission statement, I read it every time we do this podcast.

Abby: It's on a piece of paper's. It's right 

Aaron: here. Yeah. Ensemble driven, professional theater, arts education. It's line number three. 

Abby: There you go. 

Aaron: Rural Pennsylvania, which is also very much our mission. Yes. We, we do what we do here. But being in a rural area and doing live theater, that arts education kind of... we hope starts [00:24:00] from a student or a child's very first production, that Theater In the Classroom may be the only theater that some of these kids ever get to see. 

Abby: Yeah. If, 

Aaron: if their parents are not theater people, it may be the only time they see a live theater performance.

And then we have the ability to offer these workshops, these one-offs for kids who are just interested, they're curious. They may be, they're creative, or maybe they're like, I kind of wanna do this, but I've never done it before. Yeah. And then as they develop either through that theater school system or if they do get cast in a show, they gain a lot of skill.

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Aaron: And then we have, a high school theater workshop day and we have a high school internship where these people can grow Yeah. Into, to creative adults. I think it's really cool that we offer that pathway. 

Abby: Yeah, I think so too. I think it's a really, I wish, like, I think BTE always offered this.

I grew up in Bloomsburg and BTE always offered theater school classes and I believe high school internships as well when I was [00:25:00] growing up. But what I wish, is that I knew about it. Right? I was one of those families that didn't. Do theater, right? Like I was the odd man out.

We were a sports family and I remember one year I got gift certificates to BTE and I saw Cinderella, right? I essentially wish I lived in a parallel universe where like same family maybe, but like that the theater was a knowledge base in my brain. Mm-hmm. And that like, I could have had that fostering system.

Aaron: Yeah. And it requires adults to do that to a certain, for sure. Right. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. That's the other thing that I realize now as a parent. That my parents certainly gave to me that one of the reasons that I do what I do is because Rick and Judy White would take us to see a Nutcracker or, uh, I, I watched 12th Night, I wanna say at Susquehanna University, and we were probably too young to even know what it was, but I remember the yellow stockings, you know?

Oh, yeah, [00:26:00] yeah, yeah, yeah. Um. But that was because there were adults that were sharing that with me. Mm-hmm. So I then understood that I was hungry for those opportunities. 

Speaker 4: Yeah. 

Aaron: I probably had an inkling that it was something I wanted to do, but I had adults who were fostering that you had mentioned, Santa's that if, or that winter workshops make a great Christmas present and it's because it is something that a grownup can give to a kid. 

Abby: Yeah. 

Aaron: Yeah. An opportunity to try something our. 

Abby: Yeah. I think it's a good way to see if this is for your kid. 

Aaron: Mm-hmm.

Abby: And even for you with the improv adult classes, like Yeah, we have our BTE improv group and we just cast a bunch of people that aren't necessarily BTE affiliated. Mm-hmm. They're from the community. Mm-hmm. And it's just another way to involve yourself in the arts. Right. And I think And participate.

And participate. Yeah. And have a good time and meet people [00:27:00] who are like-minded like you. Yeah. Adult or child alike. 

Aaron: Thanks for talking with me. 

Abby: Of course. Anytime

Outro

Aaron: This has been Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble, Down Center, ensemble driven professional theater arts education in rural Pennsylvania. For everyone. With everyone, winter workshops are on sale. Now. Give that creative kid in your life the gift of learning from a professional BTE artist.

It's also not too late to make BTE part of your family's holiday tradition. A Charlie Brown Christmas is running at the Alvina Krause Theater through December 27th. If you'd like our Theater In the Classroom tour to come to your school this spring to commemorate America's 250th birthday and learn about the founding father Benjamin Franklin, have them contact Abby Leffler for more information and to book a show for the Amazing. Mr. Franklin. Check out our season and buy tickets@bte.org. 

Tag

Abby: Boy, you might have a couple creaky boats that picked up from the mic. My little burpees that I do.[00:28:00] 

Aaron: Did you say creaky boats? 

Abby: Yeah. I don't burp, but like air will still like sneak up there and it sounds like a creaky boat. 

Aaron: Creaky boat. Okay. I'll look out for the creaky boats. 

Abby: Okay, good. 

Aaron: Can't wait for you to find them.