Santa Rosa Children’s Theater, provides opportunities for children to perform at many sites in Santa Rosa in after school programs, on Saturdays, and in 2 week Summer Drama Camps. More information

Acting is a fun and novel way of using all five senses with emotion to help the brain and the individual develop.

Because acting helps children martial inner resources when they are ‘on the spot’, they get used to the process of making something out of nothing. They learn that they can rely on themselves for answers and follow through with excellence. Our brains actually grow in size, complexity, and capacity as a result of our experiences. Our brain structure is essentially a response to our environment: a unique map of associations, or patterns of sensory experiences we create to make sense of the world. One catalyst for heightened ‘mapping’, or neural interconnectivity is novelty. It’s an evolutionary mandate that the conscious mind electro-chemically ‘wake up’ in novel situations. It needs to grow connections to record new information so we can survive and thrive. We reach our highest potential through optimizing brain patterns.

The Feldenkrais® principle, that changing the brain makes the impossible possible, fuels our work with children. Inviting self-awareness during theater games and rehearsals triggers greater neural connectivity. Starting to reflect on ‘what’ you are doing and ‘how’ you do it are higher brain functions. Leading children through this process supports the development not only of the analytical functions of their brain’s frontal cortex, but also stimulates the development of the right brain which is a powerful component of creative problem solving. Through embodying different characters, children learn that they have the power to use their imagination and their intellect to make choices, and can start to differentiate which choices are more effective than others.

We are building the children’s life skills, teaching them that movement is more beneficial and enjoyable than ‘stuckness’, and that they can each develop a unique way of moving through life which will be accepted and valued.