Kids Can Handle More Than You Think: Why Youth Actors Need Higher Standards

by Hannah Crawford, Guest Editorial

As someone who has dedicated a large portion of their theatrical career to coaching youth actors, I know how important it is to understand both sides of the coin in treating kids like adult actors, or not doing it. We must remember that youth are in their developmental phase, and I’ve met many adult career professionals who don’t want to put the pressure on kids for fear of making them uninterested in a life in the arts. 

However, I like to think of it as “setting the stage.” As someone who has stage-managed for years, this is a phrase we often hear. It is essential to set the stage and ensure that everything is prepared, whether for rehearsal or the actual show. 

However, the spin I take off this metaphorically is that we need to help prepare young performers for the real world in theatre. And we do this by “setting the stage” for them. 

“Young performers” can encompass ages 7 through 18 years old. Of course, there are varying levels of how we should treat them. In this piece, specifically, I am referencing those between 11 and 18. Those ages I have found throughout my career have the ability to be refined, just as we do with adult actors. 

Young performers deserve the same respect and expectations that we have for the adults in these productions. This type of groundwork will set kids up for long-term success in theatre. 

When I Got Pushed to My Limits

Picture this: I’m fresh out of high school and I enter college ready to take on the world. I was thrilled to finally get into theatre and discover what I wanted to do with my life. I was just paired with my first private instructor. 

I walked into a huge repertory theatre space and waited for her to arrive. She finally did, and we sat and talked for the longest time, getting to know each other and for her to share her plan for me for the remainder of the semester. 

I will never forget this; she paused, looked me in the eyes, and said, “I’m going to make you cry.” I chuckled, thinking she was joking. She said she wasn't kidding and that, eventually, she would make me cry. 

I brushed it off. But sure enough, there was a point in the semester when I did cry because of how tough she was on me. My instructor could have coddled me. However, she met me where I was as a baby theatre professional, and she helped me to hit the ground running.  

I’ve applied this lesson over the years to how I approach youth students. I have had many theatre instructors throughout my life, but I have never had an instructor like the one I had that year. If I hadn’t had her, I know I wouldn't have been as successful as I’ve been in teaching youth programs. And yes, I do attest that to her coaching style.

I have applied this philosophy, which she taught me, to my own students, and it has served me well over the years, as well as those who have taken my courses. I have set the stage with each student early on, clearly outlining my expectations of them, and helped them see that they have the ability to rise to that challenge.

Equal Expectations Matter

We as adults need to break this “but they are just kids mindset.” Because that doesn’t benefit the kids. 

I like to think back to my own childhood with my big brother Bill, who is significantly older than I am. Whenever someone got hurt as a kid, Bill would just act like nothing had happened. 

So, if I fell off my bike and skinned my knee and started crying, I would look to Bill for a reaction (this is normal kid behavior). However, when Bill would say, “You’re okay, let’s keep riding,” I would immediately feel empowered to jump back on my bike and not fear the “hard stuff.” 

Now, let me add here that not all kids are wired this way to just “jump back on”, and that is okay. Let me be very clear that I never support forcing a student to do something. Some students need that extra hand-holding, and you can provide it in a way that doesn’t compromise their ability to rise to the challenge. 

That’s such a simple principle, but a very powerful one. Kids will not only rise to our expectations, but they often surpass them. 

I’ve had the privilege of not only directing youth shows, but also adult shows, and some shows that combined both groups. Now, I have met some kids in my career who were more reliable than adults were. 

A student I once had, let’s call her Jasmine. She was 14 years old and completely floored me with her level of responsibility. This kid always showed up before rehearsals started, had her scripts memorized on time, took constructive feedback, maintained a good attitude even when she didn’t get the lead role, and asked if she could help after productions were over. This kid was the epitome of being a fantastic performer with a bright future.

Now you might be thinking, “Yeah, well, she probably had parents who were on top of her.” Actually, she didn’t, and that’s why I chose this specific student to share with you all about. Jasmine had a very flighty mother who never seemed to know what was going on. But Jasmine stayed on top of making sure her mom got her to rehearsals and shows before they started. 

Provide Kids With Honest Feedback

This ties into the section above. Sometimes, we, as adult instructors/directors, are hesitant to share our full feedback with kids. And we do this all in the name of “we don’t want to discourage them.” Okay, but telling them they are amazing when they aren’t benefits who exactly? That’s right, no one. 

No, I’m not saying when a kid sounds awful in rehearsal to tell the kid that they should pick a different hobby. However, we can provide constructive feedback that will help them grow, rather than coddling them. 

I always used the sandwich method when providing feedback. I started with something positive the student did, something constructive, and then concluded on a positive note. I want to emphasize the importance of positive feedback, because some of you instructors out there are way too harsh. Too much negativity will break any young kid's drive. There is a right way and a wrong way to provide constructive feedback. 

Even if it’s clear that a kid has no talent or simply did a bad job (no characterization, inflection, connection to the piece, etc.), there is always something positive you can pick out. Even if it was “your entrance on stage was fantastic, and you commanded the attention of your audience.” But don’t skip out on the constructive feedback. Make it good and be honest. 

Anytime I started a new show or class, I always spent the first night telling them that I am an honest instructor. “If you’re not doing well, I’m going to tell you that.” And I never had a kid quit my class because they thought I was too harsh.

Kid Actors are True Artists Too

Let’s close this out by remembering that kids are artists too. The world is filled with kids who own their craft, sometimes even surpassing that of adults. Some kids live and breathe theatre because that is a part of who they are. 

It is our job as youth instructors or even as adult actors to help hone the skills of the youth coming behind us. If we set the stage for them correctly, imagine how incredible their future can be.