In the summer of 2018, when Riley was 8, I signed her up for a three week summer theater camp at The Griffin Theater and she was hooked. She was asking me to allow her to audition for the mainstage productions before camp was even over. Since then, Riley has participated in summer camp each summer, takes vocal lessons, some classes (stage makeup has been her favorite), and has been a part of about 12 mainstage shows. Actors never pay a fee to audition or to be part of the mainstage shows. How often do you find such valuable activities for your child without a cost? What a gift to the community.

The theater focuses on providing opportunities for their youth to learn and grow not only as performers but teaches so many valuable life skills. The Griffin has a youth board, which Riley can’t wait until she is old enough to apply to be a member. The theater gave Riley and one of the other young performers the opportunity to develop and direct their own cabaret which was performed on the mainstage.

Riley looks up to the older youth performers and they have been wonderful role models for her. Over the past few years I have seen Riley grow in so many ways not just as a performer but with her confidence, public speaking, ability to work as a team, and her love of the arts. The other performers, directors, and volunteers have become like family to her. She even wrote about it last year in school for her opinion writing assignment. Here are a few quotes from that essay that sum up how she feels “Theater is a great experience because you can have new friends and share your feelings with your fellow actors and actresses. You can be in the ensemble, they get all the fun dancing numbers! In my opinion, theater is the best hobby! It is the best because you have fun, you meet new people, and it is perfect for all ages.”

I am so thankful I signed her up for that first summer camp and I know she is too.