The “Magic” of Age 10

Happy #FrontRowFriday, Encore fans and a very happy opening night to Encore’s production of the musical Narnia , based on the beloved tale by C.S. Lewis. In this blog, I’m excited to share a new view on the value of children’s arts education and exploration. Today we’ll examine some of the key points of Bruce Grierson’s piece, “Here’s Why Living Out Your Dreams from When You Were 10 Is the Key to Happiness” (originally featured in Psychology Today, then expanded upon in Reader’s Digest) and discuss how theatre can help young people during this vital developmental period.

“A 10-year-old is a tiny superhero, at the apex of his or her powers in many ways.”

Gone are the helpless infant months, replaced by the wibbly-wobbly toddler years, which have now also passed. By this age, students are more able to put their bodies into action, articulate their interests, and focus on their favored goals. This new-found attention is a big reason that we wait until age 9 before allowing students to audition for full-length productions here at Encore. (Psst…will we see you at auditions for The Three Musketeers next week??)

“The surge in bandwidth helps 10-year-old kids reconcile what they think with how they feel.”

Empathy plays a huge role(pun intended) in the life of an actor, no matter how young. In order to believably portray another person (or lion, beaver, etc. in the case of Narnia ), one must be able to imagine themselves in the shoes (or paws) of another. Theatre camps, classes, and productions that are designed specially for young actors make a point to focus on this essential life and acting skill.

“At age 10, a kid may suddenly become the family’s truth teller.”

As I’m sure many Encore parents would attest, this age group is not afraid to speak their minds: on how they’re feeling, what they find interesting, and what activities they’d like to pursue. Here at Encore, we understand that no one class will be a perfect fit for every student. We make it a priority to offer varying topics across age groups to appeal to every kind of learner, singer, dancer, and more.

“At around age 10 also comes the birth of taste. (Take a memo, parents: Expose your kid to more beauty and less tripe, for what they learn to like right now will register forever.)”

Participating in theatre as an audience member is also a valuable experience for young people. It teaches respect, manners, self-awareness, and even helps train the mind to seek patterns and make predictions. With this in mind, we started our Theatre for the Very Young series which is geared toward our youngest theatre lovers under the age of 5 with relatable characters, engaging colors, and relevant themes. While age 10 may be the start of discerning taste, we offer shows to young viewers to help them develop an early love for storytelling in all its forms.

“Age 10 is a developmental sweet spot. You’re old enough to know what lights you up, yet not so old that adults have extinguished that fire by dumping more practical and ‘realistic’ options on it.”

Theatre creates a family and a community with every production, class, and camp. Encore’s family of theatre lovers (teaching artists, directors, students, parents, volunteers, interns, the list goes on and on) gives young people the opportunity to take big risks and fail safely, knowing that they are supported both creatively and emotionally.

Come witness the magic of this age group for the next two weekends at Narnia : the cast boasts a whopping 27 9-through-11-year-olds out of a cast of 36! Matched up with a magical wardrobe, a brave lion, a medley of talking animals, and a formidable opponent in the White Witch, this musical will surely capture the imaginations of theatre lovers of all ages.

Performance Dates and Showtimes for Narnia

Fridays, January 10 and 17, 2020 at 7:30pm
Saturdays, January 11 and 18, 2020 at 11am and 3pm
Sundays, January 12 and 19, 2020 at 3pm

Photos by Cindy Kane Photography. Original article by Bruce Grierson. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.

The “Magic” of Age 10

Encore Stage & Studio

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