How I Learned to Drama Rocket

Hello, and welcome to Stellar News, the official Drama Rocket blog. I’m Katie Lindsay, founder and “Flight Director” of Drama Rocket, LLC.

Drama Rocket is an After-School Theatre Arts Enrichment Program for kids ages 4-12. Our mission is to help develop children through theatre arts by igniting creativity, supercharging self-confidence and boosting social skills. We aim to use drama as a tool to help develop future creators who will stand out as leaders among their peers and provide innovative solutions to problems that are facing our fast-changing world.

The Drama Rocket Crew is excited to use Stellar News as a platform not only to inform you about our unique theatre arts program, but to also share incredible stories about people and places local and far away who are doing amazing and creative things that make our world a better place. Our hope is that the stories we share will inspire, uplift and show the power of positive thinking!

Drama Rocket was born out of the idea that if you devote enough time, energy and passion to your dream, then you can launch something truly spectacular. So, for our very first blog post, I’d like to share my personal story of how I learned to Drama Rocket.

Throughout elementary school, I struggled in subjects like math and science. My parents and teachers told me I was smart and capable, but I could sense their disappointment and frustration over my inability to process and retain information taught in class. Although I participated in the gifted and talented program, I struggled to keep up with school work and my grades and test scores were not ‘stellar.’ I may not have shined academically, but I was hands down the best Drama Queen in my class. I may have had a C average in Math, but I sure could put on a comedy show or create and direct an MTV music video with my classmates on the playground.

While I was concerned with entertaining everyone, my Mom on the other hand was worried about my education and my future (thanks, Mom). She invested in tutors and throughout my elementary years, I spent extra time after school with teachers who would review material with me so I wouldn’t fall behind. Apparently, it took a village to raise me, so before I go any further, I want to say a big thank you to Mrs. Daniels, Mrs. Buffalo, Mrs. Elliot and Mrs. Rooks for believing and investing in me. #blossomwoodelementary

Even though I was receiving the academic support that I needed at school, my mom still felt there was a missing component to my overall development. With all the extra effort I was applying towards my school work, she realized I needed a creative outlet where I could let loose and express myself artistically in a safe and nonjudgmental way. She took a leap of faith and enrolled me in my very first community theatre class.

GAME CHANGER.

For the next 10 years, I lived and breathed the theatre. Drama class, gave me the confidence to audition for pretty much every single play our community children’s theatre produced. Theatre transformed my life. It allowed me to express myself in ways I never knew I could. It made me feel brave. It taught me how to be authentic and intentional in my actions and words.  I learned how to respect other peoples’ work, their creative processes, their technical skills and experience and their knowledge of subjects that I knew nothing about. I learned how to be a team player and how to resolve conflicts. I learned how to improvise and think on my feet, and how to change creative direction when necessary. I practiced empathy by learning about subtext, how to read between the lines to understand others’ motivations. Theatre provided me with a safe space to explore all the facets of my personality and allowed me to practice being HUMAN. When I failed, I knew that I could try again without fear of judgement or consequence. Theatre was a gift that I never took for granted.

 

It wasn’t long before my parents and teachers noticed the transformation that was taking place.  Almost overnight, I developed stronger creative thinking skills and began to link

concepts learned in school with real world context. My vocabulary, communication and memorization skills skyrocketed. My critical thinking skills and attention to detail improved, ultimately helping me excel in subjects that I had previously struggled in. By the end of High School, this once C- Average Girl graduated with AP Honors in English and, wait for it, Biology!

When I reflect back on my childhood experience in the theatre, it all boils down to this: Theatre takes guts, and because of it, I was able to prove to myself that I could do anything and be anything I wanted if I devoted enough time, energy and passion to my work. Theatre is how I learned to Drama Rocket.

Do you have a passion? What unique gifts have you uncovered about yourself and how have you shared them with the world? How do you Drama Rocket?

I’m thrilled you are on this journey with us! We can’t to share incredible and inspirational stories of people from around the world and right here in our own backyard who Drama Rocket every day. Please make sure to Follow us on Facebook for details about our upcoming Summer Camps and 2018/2019 Drama Rocket Program Offerings at a school near you!

Signing Off!

Katie Lindsay, Flight Director
Drama Rocket