By: Alyssa Wismar  

     On the first and second of December, SLT Academy performed their newest winter show, their ‘Christmas Cabaret’. This show was performed by kids from Warren County in elementary school up until high school. However, in addition to performing, this year the students were assigned a surprising and creative task: writing the show.  

     The director, Eric Morelli, wanted the students to have the most creative freedom that they could with this show; after all, there are more aspects to performance arts than just performing. So, each age group created ideas for different scenes for the Cabaret, and with the scenes of the younger age groups being written by Morelli, the older kids were assigned the daunting task of writing their own scenes. And to add a fun element to the show, every scene was holiday themed.  There were so many different aspects to a holiday scene, such as ‘The Housewives of the North Pole’, a ‘Hallmark Movie’ scene, and a fun spin off of ‘A Christmas Carol’ featuring different Broadway Characters, such as Regina George from Mean Girls, Betelgeuse from Betelgeuse, and Glinda from Wicked.  

     To get a different perspective on the show, The Squire interviewed Barb Crowley, the light director for almost every show that Struthers produces, and who has been working with SLT Academy since the program has been running. Crowley thought that the show was different and stood out because it was evident that the students wrote the script themselves- not in a bad way, however. Crowley said that it, “… brought a creative spin to it.” She went on to say that, “Creativity is a skill that is in such high demand. When you think about it, every profession needs some creative element to it, whether it’s writing music, or figuring out a new, out-of-the-box idea to solve a problem.” This show was able to teach exactly that! From splitting students up into groups to flesh out different creative ideas for scenes, it really ensured that each student had an even role in each scene.  

     It also gave some students a chance to take lead in directing their own scene. Speaking as one who was appointed to direct, I learned how much stress and thought can really go into making sure that each actor was given a fair and equal part in the scene, and helping to make that part as fun as it could be for the actors, while showcasing their many talents. I know that every director did have fun in the long run, but it was an interesting perspective to see what the adults running every theatre production see and view the show.  

     When asked why she thought theatre was important to the community, Crowley had one outlining idea. She elaborated and said, “ Even though it may be a small part of a community, it’s not just entertainment, so much of it is educational.” She felt that it taught students leadership, social skills, and the very thing that was discussed earlier: creativity.  

    One thing is for sure, this ‘Christmas Cabaret’ was definitely a creative show that was beneficial to everyone who participated. It helped students grow as performers, and helped the audience to see what students in Warren County are capable of!