We have school activities for those who can shoot a basketball through a hoop.
We have school activities for those who can kick a ball far enough to score a goal.
We have school activities for those who play games, instruments, volleyball, read, draw, run. We have clubs for Scholars who want to be leaders, who want to join the army,
It sounds like there’s many choices to choose from!
…yet, what about the kids who want to act? The kids who want to read scripts, learn lines, sing, bring fictional characters to life, wear costumes, and be on a stage and perform?
What about the kids who don’t have money, time, or resources to do theatre outside of school? What about them?
Mr. Aronson: How His Love For Drama Began.
The theatre teacher at Coconut Creek High School, Mr. Aronson, as a child loved theatre.
At the age of 5 or 6, he took a Saturday drama camp, performing in a lot of “no name things” along with shows like Snow White, Cinderella, and other fairytale stories.
Unlike anything else he tried out, such as his mother’s crafting classes or football, he was hooked on theatre the most.
“And it was just, once I got into the drama it was like, the best thing ever.”
With his first love being writing, along with being four classes away from a physics degree, he graduated in both creative writing and physics.
With his two degrees, he had planned to spend his career writing instruction manuals.
“I’d figure out science stuff for people who were scientists and translate all the instruction manuals and things like that. I figured that would be my career.”
However, he never went down that path, as he found love in teaching being a substitute teacher at Crystal Lake middle.
He spent a year at Crystal Lake, and four years at Deerfield middle where he built a Drama club.
The school, impressed with Mr. Aronsons work, gave his name to an AP here in Coconut Creek, since they were looking for a drama person at the time.
He became a Drama coach, doing Shakespeare each year and shows like “the Wedding Singer,” “Into the Woods,” and “Charlotte’s Web.”
But sadly, the Drama club hasn’t put on a show since 2020.
Careers On & Off Stage
Ivy Levine, a sophomore at Coral Glades High School said: “I do find myself enjoying school more when I have a theatre program due to the fact that it gives me an extra safe space within the school where I can do something that I enjoy.”
Diana R. Focas, the Theatre Director of Coral Glades High School, also has a strong stance on theatre programs at school.
“Theatre is one of the few subjects that can find a connection to nearly everything else.” she says.
“It isn’t just about performing on stage or studying the way people think and move. It helps build important social skills like teamwork, empathy, understanding, and an openness to trying new things,” she said. “It brings a community together to make the production happen. Parents, administration, other staff members and students from other departments collaborating and spending their extra time to create a magical end-product. It helps with building skills like public speaking, marketing, and business management.”
She then explains how a theatre program is beneficial not only to those who want to pursue a career in theatre, but to other students as well.
“If one is more interested in the business side of theatre they can pursue directing, producing, stage management, becoming a talent agent or manager, or becoming a casting agent for the industry. A theatre program can build practical skills in design and construction for such things as set, hair, makeup, costumes, props, lighting, sound- to name a few. Someone doesn’t have to pursue a career in theatre to benefit from a theatre program, but there are hundreds of careers to choose from with the many skills that are taught and built in that program while a student is in school.”
“One of the greatest aspects of theatre is the community in which it fosters. A safe space for like-minded individuals with a passion for the arts who can express themselves freely. Regardless of one’s career aspirations, studying the performing arts is about building confidence and discovering one’s power as an individual. Additionally, the school can benefit through the revenue from ticket sales and concessions and attract community sponsors and partners.” Said Rany Koral, the communications director for Next Stop Broadway, a theatre program at Coral Springs Center for the arts.
The Affordability Factor
Having a drama club at school could also help kids who don’t have the money to afford theatre programs.
Next Stop Broadway, a summer camp program of the Coral Springs Center For The Arts, offers singing and acting classes, a Broadway Series that gives kids and teens the opportunity to be a part of plays and musicals, and a musical summer camp.
The tuition for private lessons goes from $45 for half an hour, to $75 for a whole hour, PER lesson.
The summer camp teen project requires a $99 fee to reserve a camper’s spot, and a full tuition of $1,300, the youth camp having the same reservation fee but with a lower tuition being at $900.
Although I am lucky, and grateful that I can take theatre over the summer and dance during the school year, many families are not able to pay such prices. Let alone every year.
With a theatre program at school, it gives kids the opportunity to do something they love without having to worry about prices and fees.
There has not been a drama production at Coconut Creek High in four years. And all I can really say is…
When will the curtains finally come back up again?
