National magazine to feature local group's efforts

Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre
News Release

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Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre is thrilled to announce that it will be featured in the April edition of Today’s Parent as the recipient of the award program “For Kids’ Sake – Readers With a Cause”!

This awards program recognizes organizations that are making life better for kids, whether it’s in health, recreation, the environment, literacy –the list goes on. Today’s Parents selects one Reader With A Cause in each issue. The winner is profiled in the magazine and receives a $2,000 donation (courtesy of KRG Children’s Charitable Foundation). At the end of the year, three grand prizewinners will be selected from the 12 winners profile though that year. The grand prizewinners will attend an event and receive an additional monetary donation.

Dreamcoat’s Secret Recipe!

Take 80 children from grades 3-8 in various sizes, from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of skills. Stir in ample amounts of singing, dancing, script-reading, listening, speaking, acting, learning, and having fun. Blend in hundreds of community volunteer hours by parents, grandparents, friends. Add in a producer, director, stage manager, artists, set designers, choreographers, musicians, costume designers, sewers, sound and light technicians, and stage managers and sponsors. Simmer 3 times a week for about 3 months. Serve a memorable Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre musical production to about 3000 local elementary school children - theatre by children for children.

Early into rehearsals, children began working toward a common goal and become team members, demonstrating commitment, managing time, and learning to respect each others’ differences and gifts. Lasting friendships are born. Children with difficulties around self-esteem and social interaction blossom with confidence on the stage. Children who struggle with language skills are reading and memorizing lines, having so much fun they hardly know they are learning. After the last performance, there is always a great out-pouring of emotion. Nobody wants it to end!

Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that works creatively to include children with special needs and to make participation possible in situations of financial need. To this end, the $2000 that Dreamcoat was awarded will be used to further this outreach.

Dreamcoat is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and are presently in production of the spring show, There’s a Monster In My Closet. The show will be presented at West Ferris Secondary School on May 7-9. Our recipe is certainly worth celebrating!

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