#67/100 Simple Suggestions... Attend a local High School play

The excitement is building at school these days. It's been announced that Grades 10 to 12 will perform Cabaret at the beginning of December, and my daughter and her friends and classmates are auditioning next week. The school has done very well with its drama and musical productions over the years, winning many "Cappies" awards (the equivalent of Tonys for local High School productions), so there's a lot of buzz about this year's choice, too. Cabaret is a very challenging musical, no question.

I don't know about you, but I love High School plays. I got to participate in three when I was in High School, Oklahoma! being the only one of which you might have heard. The camaraderie of the cast and crew, the fun of opening night, the bloopers (like when the lead guy fell off the edge of the stage) and the cast parties -- all were a very exciting and enjoyable experience for me as a teen. And now, sitting in the audience, I still feel the excitement and enthusiasm of the young performers. It more than makes up for the moments when... well, you wish you had more enamel on your teeth. And if you know the kids personally, and can share a moment when something really goes right, it's more than worth admission! School performances rarely cost more than an evening at the movies, and we've all seen our share of duds at Cineplex or Famous Players. I'd prefer to dish out for live student theatre anyday!

Especially Crazy for You in 2010. What a hoot!

At the moment, it's a bit early to get tickets for school shows given that the kids just returned to classes yesterday, but it's never too early for me to suggest attendance at performances and encouragement of our school drama/dance/music programs through supporting them with our presence. So here's the challenge: sometime during this school year, attend a non-professional, preferably school-offered production, and cheer on some local talent. If you haven't got a High School performer of your own, adopt a friend or neighbour's -- take in someone else's kid's show. You'll be supporting community entertainment, and you never know when you might run into the next... (insert name of famous talented teen here)!

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.