Wish for Changing Lives

by Susie Gidseg, Managing Director, Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble

Success!

As this year is coming to a close, and 2012 just beyond the bend, I just wanted to take some time to reflect on what we have accomplished this fall and look forward to our wishes for the future.

This year Changing Lives is finishing the fall semester with 23 students. We have a fall retreat under our belt, a new complex and exciting script we are staging, and over 600 students have already seen our students perform at the No Place for Hate Conference and the We Are Girls Conference. We are excited about what we have accomplished and learned, and the fun we had doing so.

For the future—we wish for a calm, exciting and successful tour. We wish for students with open minds and hearts to see our play, and schools and conferences that are excited to have us. We wish our students resiliency as they balance home, school, and rehearsal. We wish tons of memories, good times, growth, learning opportunities and joy. We look forward to many more exciting experiences with this group as they embark on their spring touring season—with a bunch of fun along the way. Here’s to a great 2012 with the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble!

Exactly as it should

by Susie Gidseg, Managing Director, Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble

It is the night before the first performance of the season, and the Changing Lives teachers are scared. They stay up late wondering, worrying. Will everyone arrive on time? Will we make it through the metal detectors? Did everyone remember to bring their scripts? I bet you never thought your instructors worried over the little things!

Bullying: One of the Most Urgent Problems Youth Face Today

by Karen LaShelle, Executive and Artistic Director

You have most likely seen the news highlighting the problem of bullying lately. The stories are tragic and troubling and it seems like they are becoming all too frequent. Most recently, Jamey Rodemeyer from Buffalo New York committed suicide after relentless harassment for being gay. Last year, Phoebe Prince, a 15-year old Irish immigrant committed suicide after extreme bullying by other girls in her school. Young people today deal with bullying in a whole new way in which the internet and cell phones have become dangerous, unsupervised spaces for bullies to make attacks.