The chance to be an "Actor for an Evening"

By Megan Goetcheus

staff writer

Elizabeth, 3rd Grade

Northview’s theater program is unique in many ways, and by hosting an event to give the youth of today the chance to explore theater, it has a bigger impact than one might assume. Last week, a number of high schools students voluntarily spent a Friday night with 30 some kids interested in learning about the art of theater. The event, entitled “Actor for an Evening,” consisted of improvisation games, a tour of the technical world, and the chance to dance.

Within the large crowd, there was a particular girl who stood out among the rest. After pulling 3rd grader Elizabeth aside, she exclaimed that she was most excited to act, because, “that’s her thing,” she said before throwing her arms above her head and flashing a bright smile. She’s been acting since she was 4, but ultimately she has other plans for the future. “This is kind of just more for fun, but I have been to the Civic theater, and I was the main character just because I could cry,” she admitted. 

Samuel Decker and Aaron Howe

The event was run by the fall play director, Jason Marlett, as well as long-time contributor to the performing arts, Mike Frank. After being a part of “Actor for an Evening” for the past 7 years of its existence, Frank has seen that “[The event] gives the little ones a chance to think about acting, so it kind of builds the program up,” as well as being one of the few fundraisers put on by the theater program, particularly to fund the upcoming spring musical, Legally Blonde.

A group of 4th-grade girls was eager to voice their opinions of the night. They had heard about the event from a friend who had previously attended and had raved about it. Others were returning because of positive experiences in years past. Fourth grader Celeste Wells went to the event last year and loved it so much she was quick to sign up for another year. Her favorite part of the night was playing, “statues in the park,” a response that brought on nods from the rest of the girls.

The fun wasn’t limited to just the children, the high schoolers got almost as much out of the night. Northview sophomore Sean Huizing has been singing his whole life and is a strong believer that not enough kids are exposed to theater like they should be. “You gotta pay attention to the kids. You don’t think that kids are going to inherit [the theater] one day, but they will,” Huizing mentioned, saying how crucial it is to the program for young students to get interested in theater at a young age. This is his first year and he was enthusiastic when he said that he would be coming back for the next two years. Overall, the night was a blast for all involved. The theater program will benefit in many ways from this successful event.

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