BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—We all know that teenagers have a reputation for being a little dramatic. Fortunately, in January 2024, Bucyrus Little Theatre (BLT) formed the Teen Theatre Club, which provided an appropriate venue for teens with a knack for drama to let it all out.
“We’ve always had a handful of kids who would regularly participate in our productions and they just really enjoyed hanging out at the theatre,” said BLT Board Member, Business Manager, and Teen Club Co-Advisor Cindy Light. “So we started discussing ways to get these teens even more involved.
“No matter what, we knew there were going to be growing pains. The initial idea was to have a youth board, but that structure became problematic,” she continued. “We let it evolve naturally and, eventually, moved toward a more inclusive ‘club’ structure. I think everybody is glad that we did.”
Since its initial meeting, the Teen Theatre Club found its stride.
“We’ve taken a ‘for teens, by teens’ approach, and it’s blossomed,” said Dalton Edwards, BLT board member and co-advisor of BLT’s Teen Theatre Club. “After each meeting, we identify a committee to come up with the activity for the upcoming month. We’ve played improv games, performed karaoke, learned how to boogie, written scripts … everybody gets involved and has a great time.”
“Since moving from a core governing group to opening up the theme for each meeting to small committees that alternate each month, everything has smoothed out so much,” said Light. “There’s no grappling for power and they understand that everybody’s equal. Anybody can be a part of the planning process. Everybody is welcome.”
A Fun and Educational Outlet
Light said one of the original goals of BLT’s Teen Theatre Club was to include representatives from each Crawford County school. While this has occurred for the most part, over the last year, regular representation from all area school districts has not always been consistent. The majority of the club’s Crawford County members are students within the Colonel Crawford and Wynford school districts. However, the club has also brought in teenagers from Marion, Wyandot, and Morrow counties.
Each meeting is regularly attended by 12-15 teens. However, depending on the month’s activity, attendance can grow to more than 20 teenagers. At this time, there is no limit to how many people can attend each meeting.
“I try to invite anybody that has done a show at BLT before and we encourage members to invite their friends,” said Light. “This is a very welcoming group. When somebody new comes in, they are not strangers for more than an hour. It’s so wonderful to see that.”
“When I was a teen, I didn’t have many consistent theatre options,” said Edwards. “This club has been a great way to introduce teens to different aspects of the theatre in a creative and safe environment.”
“When they come to a meeting, the kids spend a lot of time socializing. I think some of them would be totally happy to socialize the whole time, but that’s not only what we’re about,” explained Light. “We want them to grow on the stage and gain a better understanding of the theatre.”
“These teenagers are the future of the area’s theatre community. Whether they continue performing at BLT or go on to The Ren or The Palace, these kids are going to continue to entertain, so we want to give them a great environment to learn and grow,” Edwards added.
According to the club’s advisors, each meeting follows a basic structure while ensuring ample room for creativity. The monthly planning committee determines the activities of the day. One activity occurs during the first half of the meeting before breaking for refreshments and socialization. The meeting picks up again with a second activity before formally determining which members will help plan the activity for the upcoming month.
Happy Birthday Teen Club
In celebration of the first anniversary of Teen Club, planning committee members Cynthia Carvel, Sofia Kanellakis, and Sage Whalen opted to pursue a birthday party/awards ceremony theme.
“It was almost like an ‘Oscars’ event,” said Light. “There were refreshments. Awards were presented to everybody who had been coming to the meetings regularly. The emcees did a wonderful job and, when accepting their awards, each teen just took to the stage and made their thank yous. It was just so fun to watch.
“The invitation said to ‘dress for the occasion.’ I didn’t know that would catch on so well,” she continued. “I see that kids want to go to school wearing their pajamas and the fact that these young people wanted to dress up and make this a big, special celebration was awesome.”
“Today was amazing,” said Edwards. “We thought we would struggle to get people to attend an awards assembly. But so many came out and everybody had fun.”
In addition to a formal awards ceremony, the event featured a variety of refreshments, a banner-making activity, improv games, and a birthday cake.
More Drama Expected in 2025
Looking ahead, Edwards says the club will continue to empower members to take the lead and own monthly activities while continuing to welcome more club members.
“You just have to show up and have a good time,” he said. “We are also looking to add more activities while continuing to offer some of the crowd favorites, like karaoke. The teenagers love it because it’s fun, they get to be a star, and everybody is incredibly accepting and encouraging of each other.”
“I think we all want to try some new educational activities while continuing to make them as fun as possible. We’ve even discussed doing some sort of a production,” Light added. “Overall, it has been fun to see how far these kids have come. They feel comfortable with each other and feel safe getting up on stage and taking risks.”
“Not only is Bucyrus Little Theatre here to entertain Crawford County, but we’re here to be an accepting organization. This is a place where you can create great friendships,” said Edwards.
BLT’s Teen Theatre Club is open to all area teenagers ages 13-19. The organization meets 1-3 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at the theatre, located at 130 Songer Ave. Meetings are free to attend and refreshments are provided. Meeting themes are promoted in advance on the theatre’s Facebook and Instagram pages. For more information, visit Bucyrus Little Theatre Teen Club or email bucyruslittletheater@gmail.com.