Calgary community theatre gives young kids the chance to shine
Getting to perform on stage in front of a large audience is something actors might work years to achieve but a community theatre group in Calgary is putting kids of all experience levels in the spotlight.
Small Time Theatre only casts children in its large scale productions. It’s based in south Calgary but auditions are open to all Calgary children in grades 1-9.
“It’s really fun getting to be different parts and act on stage and sing and dance,” said 10-year-old Cozy Spackman who has acted in three productions with Small Time Theatre.
The non-profit, commuity theatre group was started in 2016 by families looking to introduce their children to performing arts.
“There’s the self-esteem, the teamwork, the resilience,” said Tanya Woodruff, Small Time Theatre's founder and director.
“But my favourite part," she added, "is seeing the thrill when they’re on stage with the lights and applause.. it’s magic.”
Volunteer run
The non-profit is completely run by volunteers, including many former actors.
Those older kids take roles behind the scenes to give other youngsters a chance.
“We got things put in place so that hopefully it can last for a long time for the kids, hopefully generationally, you know, the kids will come back with their kids,” said Woodruff.
Small Time Theatre’s latest production “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” Runs Dec 5-7.
It will be the first production for Cora Beiber who wanted to join after watching Small Time Theatre for the first time earlier this year.
“I haven’t like actually done a full production so once I actually saw that something like this could be done that well, I really wanted to join,” said the young actor.
“It’s really easy and accessible like if you want to you should definitely try, because it’s awesome, such a cool experience," she added.
Tickets are $10 and can be bought on their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Motive unclear as New York police hunt for masked killer who shot health insurance CEO
Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.
AI modelling predicts these foods will be hit hardest by inflation next year
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
DEVELOPING School bus cancellations in parts of Canada due to wintry weather
School buses are cancelled in parts of Canada Thursday as wintry weather moves in during the first week of December.
Canada Post stores continue to operate during strike — but why?
As many postal workers continue to strike across the country, some Canadians have been puzzled by the fact some Canada Post offices and retail outlets remain open.
Gunman may have targeted California religious school in shooting that wounded 2 kindergartners
Two children were in 'extremely critical condition' after being shot at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.
'Name what things are': Recognizing 'femicide' 35 years after the Montreal massacre
Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, Annie Ross, a mechanical engineering professor at Polytechnique Montreal, said she often thinks of those who lived through the tragedy but still suffer silently.
Congo government says it's 'on alert' over mystery flu-like disease that killed dozens
Congo's health minister said Thursday the government is on alert over a mystery flu-like disease that in recent weeks killed dozens of people, nearly half of which were children
Bitcoin tops US$100,000 as big rally sparked by Trump election win rolls on
Bitcoin has topped the US$100,000 mark as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency sparked by the election of Donald Trump rolls on.
Mother sues Mattel over 'Wicked' dolls linked to adult film website
Mattel was sued this week by a South Carolina mother for mistakenly putting a link to an adult film site on the packaging for its dolls tied to the movie 'Wicked.'