Unleashing Talent

Whether destined for the stage or the boardroom, Drama Kids speak up with confidence.

By: Aleen Crispino

TIMEOFF PHOTOS/FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI

Drama Kids director Toni Henson.

   It may be cold outside but the children who meet in the parish hall at Trinity Church in Princeton Wednesday afternoons are swaying to a tropical Hawaiian breeze.
   They are members of an after-school enrichment program called Drama Kids of Princeton. Drama Kids offers non-traditional drama classes for children ages 5-12 in six locations: Princeton, Lawrenceville, Hamilton, Pennington, Ewing and Trenton. The emphasis is on developing skills rather than memorization or play production.
   "At Drama Kids, children have fun learning important communication skills they will need to succeed in life," says Toni Henson, franchise owner. "The skills they learn in our program give them the confidence they need for basic activities required at school, such as giving a report to the class, reading aloud in a group setting or participating in classroom discussions."

Drama Kids exercise their acting chops.

   Drama Kids began holding classes at Trinity Church Sept. 21, 2004. More than 140 kids have signed up for all locations combined.
   Ms. Henson knows about children. She and her husband, who reside in Hopewell, have four of their own, ages 5, 7, 9 and 10, and she is a youth minister at her church.
   Ms. Henson’s former job as a Mercer County Community College professor gave her added insight into the skills children need to ensure future academic success.
   "I noticed a lot of college students had difficulty presenting the simplest information. As a former paid public speaker and workshop facilitator, I tried to incorporate public speaking in my college classes. My son was elected president of his elementary school and I wanted to bring that kind of public-speaking ability to other children," she says.
   Ms. Henson began to research what programs were available and came across Drama Kids.
   She compares Drama Kids to the Toastmasters public-speaking program for adults, calling it "like a Dale Carnegie for kids."
   The Drama Kids method of study was founded by Helen O’Grady, a children’s television producer in Australia who later became a teacher, says Ms. Henson. There are more than 1,000 Drama Kids locations in the United States and internationally.

Left, Danielle Halevi (front), Shane Lenard (top) and Matthew Wachira.

   Drama Kids is a full-school-year program. New students are accepted continuously, space permitting. The cost is $450 per year, but is pro-rated for the portion of the year that remains after registration.
   The program is developmental in nature. "It takes time to build up a skill," says Ms. Henson. A year or two is recommended to get the full benefit.
   There are 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. classes on Wednesdays at Trinity Church. The early class is for ages 5 to 8 and the later class is for ages 9 to 12. Parents must bring their children as bus transportation from local schools is not provided.
   Virginia Barrie Young teaches both Princeton classes, as well as Drama Kids classes in Pennington, Ewing and Hamilton. She has been a Drama Kids instructor since early December 2004.
   "In this short time I see a remarkable improvement in their voice and diction, assertiveness and confidence," she says of her students.
   Ms. Barrie Young is a local actor and director who has often worked with casts of young actors. Under the name of Virginia Barrie, she was assistant director of Oliver for Yardley Players at the Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre in July 2003, and directed and acted with Youth Players in The Crucible at Kelsey Theatre October-November 2003.
   She describes her joy in watching Drama Kids students perform. "I like most their excitement and their enthusiasm," she says. "I get a lot out of presenting an idea and seeing them take the ball and run with it. They don’t think it’s work."
   Each class begins with speech exercises in voice training. Students work on projection and articulation, says Ms. Barrie Young, and focus on a specific sound. This is followed by dramatic movement in which students act out short stories to music without using their voices. They listen for changes of mood in the music and use appropriate body movements. This helps develop listening skills, she says.
   During the main part of each session, the children create, improvise and perform a short play. Each week they are given a new role with new lines. Different plays are used for the upper and lower primary classes, and are tailored to the interests of each age group.
   For example, on one recent afternoon, the younger students’ play was titled Hawaiian Holiday and the older students performed The Diary, in which a sibling had snatched and read someone’s diary.
   Ms. Henson says that about 50 percent of parents enroll their children because they believe "public speaking is critically important" while for the other 50 percent the child has expressed an interest in acting.
   Drama Kids will launch a Youth Theater program in September 2005 for teenagers, says Ms. Henson, which will focus more on presentation and is geared for those who are gifted in drama. Drama Kids will offer a summer camp and Ms. Henson is in the process of choosing a site.
   "The bottom line is that the Drama Kids curriculum will enhance a child’s academic experience," says Ms. Henson. "We use proven, fun drama activities to focus the bold, outspoken child and to draw out the quiet child, helping them reach into themselves and discover their full potential."
Drama Kids of Princeton is located at 2375 Pennington Road, Pennington. To arrange for a free trial class, call (609) 737-2228 9 a.m.-noon or 7-9 p.m. On the Web: www.dramakids.com