ArtSpotlight

Rebekah Lane
Children's Theatre Artist

When I was eleven my mother encouraged me to audition for Oliver! with the local community theatre. Soon afterward I was fortunate enough to participate in the creation of a local children's theatre company, and later the high school thespian troupe. This involvement allowed me to watch the impact that exposure to theatre had on my peers. Theatre gave them confidence. It brought them together in spite of their differences. Theatre inspired them to achieve their goals. I was so moved by the impact theatre had on these students that upon graduating from high school I thought my purpose was to bring theatre to similar rural communities as a high school teacher.

 

I completed my BFA in theatre performance at the University of Central Florida with an Honors certificate and the first Honors in the Major thesis from the UCF theatre department. My final internship was with the Orlando Repertory Theatre as Kanga in Winnie the Pooh. MicheLee Puppets then hired me to tour Florida with the EXTREME Health Challenge as Fuchsia, the hip game show host. I owe much of my professional experience and self-discovery to MicheLee Puppets.

When MicheLee brought me into the company, my world exploded. Here was a company that expected me not only to act, but to build, paint, write, design, and teach. I had never imagined that one company would have a use for all my skills and interests. In addition to these opportunities, MicheLee offered me a safe, supportive environment where I was able get to know children's theatre and puppetry intimately.

As Fuchsia I have performed for over 150,000 children grades K-5 in nearly 400 elementary schools, and as a company member and an artist in the Orlando community I have helped in the creation of five new professional theatrical and video productions. My involvement has extended from performance to prop building, writing, producing, and actively participating in the brainstorming process for new projects for companies including Mad Cow, Pinocchio's Marionette Theatre, Orlando Scene TV, and the Orlando Broadway Dinner Theatre. I have realized that I feel the most fulfilled when I am creating theatre productions for young audiences. My experience has cemented my belief in the power of live theatre.

I believe that theatre is a tool to inspire and spark change in individuals and groups alike. I have watched theatre affect the audience on a number of sensory, emotional, and intellectual levels, and this power lends to it's effectiveness as an educational tool. I find educational theatre fascinating. The challenge involved in creating a production that entertains as well as educates children is exciting, and ever changing technology offers unlimited potential for incorporating mixed media and audience participation in live theatre productions. My dream to teach is still there. It has simply changed its location from the classroom to the stage itself. I want to be a force in the Theatre for Young Audiences community.

I want to focus on producing exciting, effective, and educational children's programming. Theatre for Young Audiences is an exciting discipline. Those who work in this area are molding the next generation of theatrical audiences. I have watched the effect of high impact performances on thousands of children and read letters that indicate how much information they have retained. I am proud to be an active member in the children's theatre community.

 

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