Even if your child isn\u2019t ready to join a production, simply watching can be a warm, technology-free way to connect, laugh and enjoy family time.<\/p>\n
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the director, co-director, and several cast members of \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When asked how live theatre differs from watching a movie at home, they emphasized that while films can be paused and replayed, theatre asks audiences to be fully present. Cast member Sean Lenhart described audience members as \u201ca necessary part\u201d of the performance, creating a sense of connection that can\u2019t be replicated on a screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PLAYING AND GROWING<\/p>\n For kids, especially, that feeling of participation matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n From the kids in the audience to the kids on stage, live theatre offers a chance to engage emotionally with a story in real time, helping them process feelings through observation and imagination.<\/p>\n \u201cKids learn through play,\u201d said Emma S., a 16-year-old cast member at the Savoyards. \u201cIt\u2019s how they learn how to handle emotions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n While watching theatre can be powerful, the cast members I interviewed agreed that stepping onstage offers an even deeper opportunity for growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Children need safe and welcoming environments where they can discover themselves and make mistakes without fear. Theater can provide that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re gonna fail many, many times, and it\u2019s okay, because every time, you make a little discovery,\u201d Lenhart says. In the process, \u201cyou learn something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Theatre, he says, is a \u201cconsequence-free place to find consequences\u201d because it provides a safe space where mistakes don\u2019t carry lasting repercussions, but still offer meaningful learning opportunities.<\/p>\n Being part of a theatre community helps kids build responsibility, creativity, empathy and confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a nice step for a kid to enter an adult space and be treated like an equal,\u201d says director Barbara Lefebvre.<\/p>\n COLLABORATING AND CONNECTING<\/p>\n For teenagers, in particular, theatre can provide a sense of independence. It allows them to explore their abilities, take on new challenges, and collaborate with peers in ways that feel affirming and empowering.\u00a0<\/p>\n A bonus for families: Simultaneously, it encourages meaningful conversations with parents, giving families a chance to reflect together on what the kids are learning and experiencing both on and off the stage.<\/p>\n During my interview, one theme kept recurring: Theatre provides kids with a place to feel seen. Whether they\u2019re shy, energetic, anxious, or still figuring themselves out, the stage offers room for every personality. Unlike school, where kids can feel pressured to be a certain way or fit into a certain group, theatre invites them to explore emotions and step into new roles\u2014literally and figuratively.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about making these kids feel safe and wanted and needed, too,\u201d says co-director Tim Tobias. \u00a0<\/p>\n Emma S. agrees: \u201dTheatre has helped me accept more of myself,\u201d and creates a sense of community. At rehearsals, she says, \u201cI felt like we were all moving and breathing and singing together.\u201c<\/p>\n Shy kids and teens are often reserved and struggle to express themselves. Acting provides a unique opportunity to discover their true selves through their characters\u2014even those very different from them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that you get to be a different person, but the parts of you that you don\u2019t normally show are the parts that get to ring out. In a way, you get to be more of yourself by playing a character that isn\u2019t like yourself,\u201d Lenhart explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n By stepping into these roles, young performers find a space to grow, experiment, and embrace aspects of themselves they might otherwise keep hidden:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s still you. It\u2019s not fake,\u201d he says. \u201cIt should be true and honest, and showing that to people who\u2019ve never seen that side of you can be very freeing and invigorating.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether kids are onstage or in the audience, theatre provides a space to explore emotions, take risks, and connect with others. For parents looking for screen-free ways to engage their children, attending a local theatre production or encouraging participation can offer both entertainment and personal growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the end, live theatre is more than a performance; it\u2019s a place where young people can discover who they are, feel seen, and gain the confidence to shine in the world outside the theatre doors.<\/p>\n If you or someone in your family is curious about Pittsburgh Savoyards or dreaming of joining the cast, click here<\/a> and get involved. And make sure to explore Kidsburgh\u2019s guide to summer camps for arts-loving kids<\/a>, which includes plenty of performing arts options.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Applause swept through the small theatre as the opening-night performance came to an end. Standing center stage, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115457,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74,54931],"class_list":{"0":"post-115456","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh","8":"tag-pittsburgh","9":"tag-pittsburgh-headlines","10":"tag-pittsburgh-news","11":"tag-pittsburgh-savoyards"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pittsburgh-savoyards-via-slb-teen-writer-dhara.jpg\"\/)
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pittsburgh-savoyards-via-slb-teen-writer-dhara.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Savoyards.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IWL-Sullivan-067-savoyards.jpeg\"\/)
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IWL-Sullivan-067-savoyards.jpeg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Savoyards.<\/p>\n