By Gale Hemmann
To say that Rachel and Theresa Foley are excited about the Creative Theatre Experience program (CTE for short) would be an understatement. They live, breathe, think and probably dream about CTE. After all, they’ve literally grown up in the program. This is their twelfth year in CTE, and their first year as interns. From that initial summer when they were just five years old to their current roles leading and inspiring younger kids, they just can’t get enough of CTE and what it offers.
Meet Rachel and Theresa, CTE Interns
So, what makes the CTE program so special? I sat down with the outgoing twins to find out. They arrived, to our interview, fresh from CTE rehearsals, energetic and excited to talk about their day and the program in general. Rachel and Theresa are fraternal twins, and like many twins, you can tell they are exceptionally in-synch with each other. And they both clearly share a passion for theater. From when they were hamming it up in front of a mirror at four years old, it seems they were born to be on (and behind) the stage.
Creative Theatre Experience is the longest-running children’s theater program in Olympia, now in its 34th season. It is special for several reasons, the Foley twins tell me. For one, it focuses on an inclusive atmosphere – there are no auditions held to get into the program, and every single participant is an integral part of it. CTE focuses not just on putting on a show, but on helping kids become well-rounded in the theater arts. In addition to rehearsals, students can also take classes in music, art, movement, and storytelling. There is also an option to join the Production Team, learning about all aspects of set construction and lighting design. (For a great overview of CTE, check out this past ThurstonTalk article.)
There is also something less definable that makes CTE “magical,” as Theresa puts it. It includes the “Circle Group” at the beginning and end of each day, in which the entire group comes together to focus on daily successes and share the creative spirit of the program. It is evident in the way that CTE helps students grow and become more confident. And it is exemplified in the spark Rachel and Theresa feel when describing this totally-immersive creative space.
Rachel and Theresa are entering their senior year at Olympia High School. They told me they enjoy the challenge of stepping up to a new set of responsibilities as interns this summer. As interns, they are responsible for leading classes for a variety of age groups (CTE serves students in grades one through twelve), directing Arts Festival plays, and leading daily Circle Groups. But more than that, the Foley twins see themselves as role models for the younger kids. They clearly remember their first CTE interns fondly (one of whom now works as staff), and aim to meet this same standard for their own students. Like many kids who come back year after year, Rachel and Theresa felt that the transition to being interns was a natural step.
Being an intern at CTE is a serious job. The ten interns this year each went through an application and interview process and intensive training for their roles. CTE is known for having a highly-qualified faculty and staff (many faculty are certified teachers, and one hails from the New York City theater scene), and interns are treated as serious, paid employees in the program.
The program is held five days a week for six weeks of the summer.
A Day in the Life: Visiting CTE
After hearing all about the program, I couldn’t wait to visit. I stopped by Olympia High School, where CTE is housed on a warm summer day. (All productions are held at the high school’s beautiful Performing Arts Center.) The day was already full-swing in a whirl of activity.
I was shown around by Lynn Foley, Rachel and Theresa’s mother and the CTE Board President. Lynn, a gracious host, gave me a glimpse of all aspects of the program. She shared that she volunteers her time with CTE (as do the other Board members) because “the kids get so much out of it.”
We visited rehearsals, where groups of kids and staff read through scripts, blocked scenes, and generally had fun digging into the plays. There are four groups within CTE. Arts Festival is for the youngest kids, Spotlight offers older kids a chance to do two one-act plays, and Showcase puts on a musical. There is also the Production Team, who were hard at work building a set, complete with power tools and hands-on construction. All of them looked simultaneously serious and like they were having a terrific time.
We also visited the specialty classes. In an art class led by Theresa and fellow interns Kelly and Michael, the younger kids made theatrical masks. In music class, Rachel and intern Molly led a group through high-energy song activities. The interns were totally engrossed in their work with the kids, attentive and positive. As Lynn and I chatted in the hallway, we would catch a fleeting glimpse of Rachel or Theresa as they moved groups between activities.
Rachel and Theresa’s love of theater is not just limited to the summer. Throughout the school year, you’ll find them performing in plays at school and working as paid technical staff for productions held at the Performing Arts Center.
So, what’s next for this dynamic duo? After graduating, they both plan to attend college to become teachers. They also see themselves, of course, continuing their work in theater, and sharing the joys of teaching theater to others. What they have learned in CTE will no doubt infuse their lives going forward.
Photo by Gale Hemmann
And therein, I think, lies the magic of CTE. It is so much more than being in a play – it is something that kids take with them for the rest of their lives. In thinking about CTE, what the twins had told me, and my visit to the program, the image of a tree comes to mind. For many theater programs, the play is the entire tree. At CTE, the plays are branches of the tree, but the trunk of the tree is the individual kid and their overall creative development.
Upcoming Shows at CTE: Family-Friendly Fun
Each summer, the CTE program culminates in a series of plays. As the website puts it, they are “affordable community entertainment for the whole family.” Rachel, Theresa and the rest of the CTE crew are eager to show you what they’ve learned. Why not bring the kids for an evening of local theater, and support the work of this great program?
You have several options. The Arts Festival showcases the work of the youngest students, from July 17-19. Two one-act plays, “Homeschooled” and “Snow Angel” (I caught rehearsals for “Snow Angel” – it’s really engaging) will take place July 24-26. And the featured musical, “Bye Bye Birdie,” runs from July 31-August 2. Tickets are available for purchase now (save by buying them online ahead of time).
For more information about CTE in general, check out their website and follow them on Facebook. You can also check out this short video to get a great snapshot of the program.
Show Details
Creative Theatre Experience Summer 2014 Productions
Olympia High School
Plays run from July 17-August 2, 2014
Find ticket information here.
