Star Quality???

Most classes ect are just looking for folks like you, so they can tell you your child is a star and than take your $$$. If you really think she would love to do it, than find a local community theater and let her try out for one of their plays.

Hi J.-

See if there is a community theatre in your area...often they do productions and cast children...it is great training and a LOT of fun! They also are always looking for people to help with sets...props...costumes etc.

Also, look into local dance schools. The one my daughter takes classes thru is now offering a 'musical theatre' class (and we are in a SMALL town)

Best Luck!

***But make sure the desire is 'child driven***

Michele/cat

I actually had people come up to me offering contracts on my youngest. There is no way in hell I would do that to my child!

Let the poor thing be a child and not your 15 minutes of fame or a paycheck!

I used to be a theatre major. Here are tips I will offer you.
1. find an agent. If they ask money up front for them to rep your daughter, RUUUUUNNNN! Or if they say you have to use their photographer for headshots and HAVE to take their classes. Those are all options a good reputable agent will offer, but not require.
2. As an adult, it's a HARD HARD HARD life. Rejection after rejection. Audition after audition. For a talented actor/singer you will go on 10 auditions before you will ever get a call back. But that call back isn't a guarantee.
3. A LOT of money will be put into head shots, classes, voice lessons,.
4. A LOT of memorization. Often times if you want film auditions they will send you a script the night before and expect 98% of it memorized. If you are lucky you will get the script 2-3 days ahead of time.
Umm. .. that's really all I can think about. I loved theatre/film/singing, but not everybody is cut out for it. Make sure that she is mental able to handle a lot of work and rejection. Personally I would never put my child all that I went through.

"I know every parent thinks their child has star quality." But do other parents think YOUR child has star quality? See if your daughters class will be doing any small performances during the year and see how she does. Then check into the city plays and theater groups.

Just read your SWH,, Good for her if shes the one wanting to perform for others. My son was about 7 when one Sunday morning the pastor asked if anyone else had anything to share, and he jumped from his seat and ran up the isle. Went up on stage and sang a song! Thank goodness it was a Sunday School song. Can you imagine if it hadnt been,,lol.. And he went on to be in music in school which is very normal/typical, but he took it farther than most and did some great stuff. At 16 he actually got up in front of 4000 people at our local stock car races, stood all by himself with his trumpet and played the National Anthem. He also played it for football games around town, and other events. He was the trumpet for a school performing dance group. He was the drum major for parades, he has no problem doing this in front of crowds. He also was a pitcher for baseball all thru school and even when the game is down to the wire and his next pitch can make or break the game, he shows no sweat! Hes 34 now and this ability to speak and perform in front of crowds is serving him well in his job. He just has something that is more than most. He has the drive and guts/nerve to do it. I wonder sometimes if we had tried to get him into acting if he would have done something great. I myself, am a big chicken and would rather die than have to speak to a group of 10.

definitely just explore some children's theatre type activities if you think she would enjoy it.

Just my 2 cents, but I would NEVER want my child to become TOO successful at show biz--it is rare that a child star turns out happy and healthy.

See if you have a CYT-Christian YOuth Theater chapter around you. You can google them. They are national.
They have acting, singing, dancing and then put on a play a couple times a year.
Oh and Chicago should have something, you might have to go into the city.

Check your local park districts and dance studios for a class that might interest her. My 6 year old has been taking ballet for 3 years and she loves it, especially performing in recitals. She took a one-day acting workshop at the library and has been wanting to take more acting classes since then. Her dance studio now offers a musical theater class that she takes in addition to ballet and she LOVES it. I let her take this stuff because she is energetic and it suits her personality, but not because I'm trying to make her a "star"... lol. She may eventually do local plays and things like that, but I have no interest in getting her an "agent" or making it her career (unless she keeps it up and decides as a young adult that is what she really wants to pursue). I notice that you're in Berwyn... Maybe check out the Oak Park and River Forest park districts and/or dance studios of you don't find something in your town. I've noticed that more and more "Young Actors" classes and Musical Theater classes are being offered through park districts.

There is a place in, I believe, Skokie that does some really fun children's workshops. It's called EDGE and their website is www.edgeoforion.com. There is a great children's program at the Towle Theatre in Hammond, Indiana, which is pretty far for you. Give a workshop a try. It's a small committment. If she really enjoys it, look in your local paper or the phone book. Or call the park district or local chamber of commerce and see if they have any recommendations.

Look for community theater in your area, she should have fun!!

Maybe take her to the next auditions for Americas Got Talent?

Let her be a kid. Get her into classes, when she can make her own choice.

Personally I would just let her be a child. She can perform in school plays as she gets older. Then peruse something along those lines. They are only kids once

find an agent and go from there is my suggestion.

I believe College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn has some youth programs. You might check into that. I know they have some type of acting classes but don't remember for what ages.

If this were my child, I wouldn't feel like I "have" to do anything with it. My child is NOT and ham, especially in public, which I actually prefer, to be honest. She loves her ballet class and ballet performances and shows lots of interest in ballet, so she's continued to take ballet classes. When she's interested in doing another type of class, she lets me know or I might suggest another class. If she truly shows interest, I'll enroll her.
If your child really loves performing, your could participate in her school plays or your could probably find a community center class or theater group in your area.