By Jackie Daley, Jim Lawrenson, and Lauren Marie Miller, Kidstock! Educational Artists
Empathy is one of the most important things we can teach our kids. Being able to understand others and connect with them, no matter their background, is an amazing skill to carry through life. You might be wondering, “What does empathy have to do with children’s theater?” Our answer: everything!
Theater is all about telling stories, and while telling stories we imagine the perspective of various characters. Getting to explore different stories through the eyes of the villain, the sidekick, the hero, the funny guy who lives next-door, or the ordinary folks affected by the events of the story, helps us get into the habit of wondering what other people might be feeling and what motivates them to act the way they are acting
In a lot of our programs, we read books and discuss characters from each story we read. Sometimes it is the main character, but oftentimes it’s a side character who’ll have a perspective on the story that we hadn’t thought about before. We discuss the character and think about their experiences and emotions. By putting ourselves in the character’s shoes, we can see how our actions affect others and the surrounding environment.
At any age, letting go of doing things “your way” or needing something to be “your idea” is hard. But when we slow down to think about other’s experiences and how that may affect their thoughts, feelings, and actions, we are much more likely to be open to new ideas and collaborating with others.
Stephen King once said “good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere… two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun.” In all of our Kidstock! classes we try to embody this concept, because when we learn from each other we start incorporating perspectives outside our own, which is a great way to live life and create!
About the Authors
Jackie Daley, Education Director at Kidstock! Creative Theater
Jackie Daley has been part of our management team and a Kidstock! educator and performer since 2017. She delights in directing, teaching, creating shows, and developing curriculum that fosters confidence, creativity, and empathy in young performers and storytellers.
Lauren Marie Miller, Educational Artist at Kidstock! Creative Theater
Lauren Marie Miller wears many hats, directing, choreographing, costuming, and performing in productions at Kidstock! and beyond. She holds a BFA in Media Arts Production from Emerson College and is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University.
Jim Lawrenson, Educational Artist at Kidstock! Creative Theater
Jim Lawrenson is an actor, producer and writer from Wilmington, MA. Trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Jim has performed Off-Broadway and across the globe since 2017, as well as working as a producer with the Scranton Shakespeare Festival in Pennsylvania and local theaters in New York.
