Youth For the Future: Berkshire Theatre Group Students
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Theatre Group has been helping to cultivate relationships and supporting artistic exploration of the county's youth for over 25 years.
The theater company has programs that give students the chance to unwind and find themselves creatively. Artistic Associate in Education Kathy Jo Grover said the company gives kids an encouraging space to appreciate themselves.
"More than just being accepted for who they are, they're encouraged to be who they are," she said. "The things that sometimes aren't necessarily skill sets during the school day is encouraged, like being loud and taking chances ...
"They get a chance to sort of be who they are and find a group of people who really appreciate who they are, and I've watched those friendships last through college and into adulthood for many years now, and it's really, really important."
Many of the youngsters who have grown up with the group have become inspirational leaders, Grover said, and set strong examples for the younger newcomers, which has earned them the iBerkshires.com Youth for the Future designation.
Youth for the Future is a 12-month series that honors young individuals that have made an impact on their community. This year's sponsor is Patriot Car Wash. Nominate a youth here.
Students Alex Boyd, Julian Houghtling, and Isabella Rosales have been a part of the theater company for many years, taking on leadership roles. They recently performed "Magic Tree House: Showtime with Shakespeare" at Lee Middle and High School, where students got to ask them questions on their time with BTG.
Boyd, 19, has been in the program since he was 8. He said BTG has given him a safe space and he has wanted to help create safe and supportive spaces for others as well.
"I think growing up at BTG, I've seen the impact that an arts teacher and mentor can have on a little kid, and I think that I've been inspired my whole life by the people I've looked up to here at BTG," he said. "I wanted to be able to give a child the chance to be that person, and also I'm learning a lot from doing that, too."
Grover said watching him grow up and become an example for others has been nice to see.
"He's grown as an actor, as a performer. He's become a really good dancer, which he now will take on the role as dance captain in a lot of the shows," she said. "So he can take the younger kids out and drill them on their dances. The example he sets in the room is really good."
Houghtling, 16, has been with the program for a couple of years. He said before performing with BTG, he was very shy and nervous and that his theater peers have helped him come out of his shell. His hard work and determination also shows up for the younger performers he helps to also get out of their shells.
"Usually, whenever I do anything like this, I always want to try to leave the best impact possible and make people happy, because you never know what people are going through," he said. "So, it's always good to try to do your best to put a smile on people's faces."
"Julian is really strong at a lot of both the onstage stuff and the technical stuff, and his work ethic is really admirable, and I know that the other kids watch that," Grover said.
Rosales is 14 and has also been with the group for a couple of years. She, too, has become less shy and nervous after working in the theater, and wants to help the other children have that same growth as well.
"I really like helping a lot, and when I grow older, I want to really have an impact on people, people to be like, yeah, she was really nice and really kind to me and helped me," she said.
Grover said seeing her blossom and make choices on stage for herself helps to show the others kids encouragement.
"Kids are watching that, and it's encouraging them to take those risks and to make choices, which I watched through that whole process with that whimsical. So, yeah, they're all really inspirational, and they all have a lot of talent and a lot of great qualities," Grover said.
The three said BTG has become a family and has been a place for them to find and reveal their true selves.
"Kids are struggling in the time that we're living in, just like the rest of us, and I think that it's really important that they find places where they can be themselves and find a family unit that is beyond their families, right, that is other kids, and support one another, because we're all going to need that, they need it, and we need it." Grover said.
Tags: Berkshire Theatre Group, theater, Youth for the Future,
