Spotlight on the Stage: The Value of a Theater Arts Program in Classical Education

by Melissa Jantz

"The great thing about theater is that it should be a very encouraging place to be, where everyone can be themselves and bring whatever talents they have and be welcomed and encouraged whether they have a lot of experience or none at all. Being the best singer and the best actor is great, but that’s not the most important part. As a Christian school we’re trying to do it in a way that glorifies God and gives him glory and not take any of it for ourselves."

On the heels of a successful run of Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS, I sat down with Mrs. Rebekah Kurth, our theater arts teacher and director of The Jungle Book, to hear her stories and glean some wisdom about the value of incorporating a theater arts program into the curriculum.

MJ: Why did you choose The Jungle Book for this year’s performance?

RK: The Jungle Book was one of my favorites from childhood. I had the whole thing memorized forwards and backwards. I knew the kids would enjoy it because it has great songs and a fun story line, and I love that it’s based on a classic piece of literature. When looking for a show, it’s important to find something that upholds our values of promoting truth, goodness, and beauty and something I won’t mind spending hundreds of hours on!

MJ: What was the most memorable moment of The Jungle Book performances?

RK: There were a few. Looking at all the kids at the end of the last performance, I was really proud of all their hard work and feeling sad that it was over. You spend a lot of time together, so it’s always bitter sweet when it’s done.

There were students who’d never done any theater before and had to push themselves out of their comfort zone, especially with learning choreography. It took a lot of work to teach it to them and for them to learn it and then see them nailing it at the performances after months of struggling through it was very satisfying. It made me so happy for them to see their hard work and effort pay off. I hope they felt really proud of themselves.

MJ: Any fiascos or things that just didn’t go well?

RK: The stage directions called for the monkey ensemble to do somersaults. I learned that this was way easier said than done. They were all holding their heads and teary eyed after the first go. We gave it a few more tries but it just wasn’t working, with kids rolling into each other and accidentally knocking each other in the faces with their feet. We made adjustments and they learned how to do a forward roll over their shoulder. It just looked like chaos for a long time. But they got it. That was incredible.

MJ: How did you get your start teaching theater arts?

RK: I’m a teacher by profession. When my boys were young, I volunteered at their schools with their musicals backstage for a decade. At one point I realized that I wanted to do more than just volunteer my time and began to lean into professional opportunities.

In the summer of 2019 I ran a camp for the Young Performer’s Theater at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. It went well and I ended up leading a Broadway bootcamp for them in the winter of 2019 with songs and scenes from various musicals (Annie, Newsies, and Matilda to name a few). Then the pandemic happened, so that came to a screeching halt. But I did have a show under my belt, and when my boys came to Donum Dei and I began looking for ways to get involved, I knew this was something I’d love to bring to the school.

Our first show was the year before last, and we did songs and scenes from a handful of musicals—some from Young Performer’s Theater plus others the students had requested. It was a cast of twelve students (all girls if I remember correctly). We didn’t have a real set but used set pieces, and we had costumes. It was a 20-30 minute show, and it was fantastic. It was my experiment to see if I could pull it off, and so I asked if we could do a full musical the following year. I knew what a full musical production would bring to the school and was excited to bring it into being.

MJ: Why is a theater arts program important?

RK: As a classical school, the theater arts really support everything the school is trying to instill in the student body and the community. It allows students to immerse themselves in good stories. It helps them feel more confident in public speaking, communicate well, and work through anxiety or fear. For students who aren’t naturally gifted performers, moving out of their comfort zone allows them to gain so much confidence from doing something that doesn’t come naturally. It also fosters teamwork. Not everyone is an athlete and loves to participate in team sports. A theater arts program provides another outlet for our students to train and grow in strength and character in virtues like courage, self-control, diligence, joy, and humility.

Theater is a collaborative art form. You have to work together, listen to each other, and recognize the importance of helping every role shine. For older students with bigger parts where the spotlight is more on you, you could give the best solo performance of your life, but if you aren’t collaborating well with your teammates then that’s detracting from the performance as a whole.

The great thing about theater is it should be a very encouraging place to be, where everyone can be themselves and bring whatever talents they have and be welcomed and encouraged whether they have a lot of experience or none at all. Being the best singer and the best actor is great, but that’s not the most important part. As a Christian school we’re trying to do it in a way that glorifies God and gives him glory and not take any of it for ourselves.

I’m a strong believer in the arts and everything the arts brings to our lives as a school community and to us individually. It’s one of the ways God has given us to see beauty and express his love for us.

MJ: What's your favorite part of teaching theater arts?

RK: I love working with kids and I love theater, so getting to do those together is the best thing ever. But more specifically, I love exposing the students to pieces of art or theater that I love and have brought me a lot of joy. I love watching the students collaborate together and come up with really fun skits. I’ve seen those kids who would rather die than be in a theater class get more and more comfortable and step outside of their comfort zone and have fun.

The second trimester, the Logic students did an informal skit from Jack and the Beanstalk. They got to get into the costume bins and play. It was so fun to watch them revert back to childhood and play joyfully together. They’re so close that they felt comfortable wearing goofy costumes and fooling around. It’s valuable to provide these spaces in the midst of the rigors of the school day where they can play and imagine.

MJ: What’s the most challenging part of your work?

RK: For our musicals, directing a huge group of kids has its challenges for sure. Focusing their attention and energy all in the same direction requires lots of energy and creativity. I think it takes every fruit of the Spirit for students and the director to pull off a performance well!

In the classroom, I’ve come to realize that each class is different and won’t necessarily engage with the material I prepare for them in the same way. Sometimes activities or lessons that I think are going to work great totally don’t, and I have to be prepared to pivot and learn what each class’s strength is and find lessons that will suit them.

MJ: What do you want parents to know? How can they best support the program?

RK: My goal is to help all of our students and families experience the joy of bringing the theater arts into their lives.

The school has been so supportive of me and our productions and the theater class. I don’t think you can find a more supportive school community than we have at Donum Dei, from the administration all the way down to the parents. I feel really blessed to work with this group of kids and this community and do what I love.

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Mrs. Rebekah Kurth partners with Donum Dei Classical Academy as our Theater Arts Teacher. Mrs. Kurth has a degree in English and Spanish literature and taught middle school Spanish for multiple years. She has been involved in the performing arts since childhood and began formally teaching youth theater in 2019 after over a decade of volunteering with her three sons' elementary school spring musicals.