Kids Are So Dramatic
how South Middle School puts students in the spotlight
The lights dim, the curtains part, and the show begins. The actors are engaging, the sets and costumes are just right, and the play is a show-stopper. After the last curtain call, the theater goes dark and everyone heads home, satisfied on an evening well spent. This isn’t The Guthrie, or even Kjer Theater. It’s Eau Claire’s South Middle School, where a strong theater tradition has an impact that lasts long after the final curtain call. Teachers and students are brought together in a shared experience that changes them forever.
Sue Fulkerson, director of South’s theatrical productions and the school’s Gifted Education and Talent Development educator and forensics coach, has been involved in theater since the late 80s. Fulkerson asserted that the crucial element that makes South’s plays so special is collaboration. “The ultimate goal,” said Fulkerson, “is for the kids to see everyone as a team. We need every single one of them.” Fulkerson teams up with fellow staff member turned technical director, Tracy Dehny, who creates the set, along with all of the cast and crew, to make the production a hit.
While teamwork is the key element that brings everyone together, the impact of South’s theater productions are much farther reaching. Fulkerson states that the school does very well in promoting athletics which gives students a drive outside of school, but then brings up this issue: What about students who do not participate in sports? Where is their outlet? The theater provides one for students not interested in athletics. Sixth graders, who cannot be in a sport, are given an opportunity to become an integral part of the school community through theater. In Fulkerson’s mind, this is an opportunity for her to help students shine. “That’s our job whether it’s in class or out of class,” says Fulkerson. “It is like a turning point in their lives. This is a time when they were involved with something that mattered, they had something to give, and others cared.”
South 8th grader Julia Carpenter speaks to this when she said of her theater experience, “Students get to see the staff in a different way, and you make a ton of really good friends, even from other grades. Most of my closest friends are people I’ve met through the play.”
Fellow cast member and student, Nolan Meyer, readily agreed and added that the students are so comfortable with each other that the line between work and fun blurs into obscurity. Since the atmosphere is so relaxed, it becomes a safe haven for students and teachers. Fondly remembering his experience, Meyer said, “You don’t have to worry about what others think of you.”
Carpenter smiled and nodded in hearing this statement, and reiterated Meyer’s sentiment, saying, “You can be who you are.”
In the eyes of the community, theater productions at South may be a simple way to have some fun. For all the people involved like Fulkerson, Carpenter, and Meyer, however, this is a golden time when they can work together and begin to accept themselves and others. They know that being a part of the theater at South is much more that simply lights, camera, and action.
