Ann Elgood first took center stage at the age of 4, when she disappointed an audience by refusing to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." By the age of 10, she was writing, producing, and directing plays for neighborhood pals, ultimately completing a master's degree in theater at the University of Michigan. Her interest in theater for young audiences was piqued in the early 1960s, after taking a part-time job as an instructor with the Flint, Michigan, Board of Education's speech and drama program. In 1970, Elgood assumed the directorship of the program, which she reshaped into the Flint Youth Theatre (FYT). The FYT has been the recipient of several national awards and in 1985, was identified as one of six model youth theater programs in the country by a research team from Bowling Green [Ohio] University. In 2000, the same research team again named FYT as one of four model programs — the only theater remaining of the original six. Elgood retired in 1984, returning to work for five years as a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts. Elgood spoke with Ann Richards, Communications Officer with the Mott Foundation, about her career and the important role the arts can play in children’s lives.
Mott: Theater for young audiences often is dismissed as amateurish. How were you able to build support for the developmental and educational aspects of theater?
AE: I had to be careful. When I started working for the speech and drama program in Flint, the focus was on family involvement and producing plays for children, acted by children. I didn't want to offend the moms and dads who were sewing costumes and building props. But the afterschool teachers were complaining that they were just babysitting their drama students; they wanted more training. As I observed how children would use role-playing and improvisation to solve problems — as I watched them create and act out solutions to a make-believe situation — it confirmed my opinion that theater was so much more than pushing children onto a stage. As an instructor, I began to appreciate how creative drama and improvisational theater were strong tools for learning. So I began looking for battles I could win; I began working with the teachers. I began offering additional productions, directed by professionals.
Mott: Why is it important to expose children to theater and creative drama?
AE: It's been my observation that creative drama encourages independent thinking. To watch children take in information and express their insights and ideas in their own way — to help them see and understand there are many ways to express an idea — is an important educational process. There are many ways children learn. Too often, the chance to take in information and process it by interacting with others in a problem-solving situation is missing from the daily educational experience. Educators have not found a way to test for imagination and creativity or measure their effects on learning. But I feel strongly that kids need continuous exposure to these types of experiences. It builds confidence and a lifelong appreciation and need for art and arts experiences.
Mott: What were your greatest challenges during your career in theater for young audiences?
AE: Theater is essentially a business. Audience development and funding are always challenges. Looking back, though, I think my greatest challenge was developing the Flint Youth Theatre from a school-based speech and drama program. To take the program forward, I had to look at what I had in terms of programs and budget, and figure out how we could do more. I had a vision, but I didn't want to diminish the existing school-based work as I built the performing series and drama school classes. I had to figure out how to professionalize the staff, and hire trained technicians, set builders, costumers and directors. I wanted to establish a resident company of three or four college-educated actors who could work with young people and give them the chance to perform with professionals. I needed to establish an identity and find a permanent home for our productions and classes. In addition to all this, I wanted to retain our original audience base and reach out to new audiences — listen to new voices. I wanted everyone to feel welcome coming to our performances. I wanted to build the finest theater for kids that I could — they deserved it.
Mott: What do you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
AE: I built a team that was capable of carrying on the work of the Flint Youth Theatre. It takes a strong team effort to keep things going. Finding people with potential, training them, giving them a chance to explore and try new ideas, helping them resolve problems — is so important. I was fortunate to find people like Sue Wood and Bill Ward, who were willing to work with me as a team. [Wood directed FYT from 1985 to 2000, when Ward assumed the position.] I was able to create a foundation that others could build on.
Mott: Do you have advice for teachers, principals or parents trying to incorporate the arts into young people's lives?
AE: Unfortunately, I don't have solutions. I'd like to encourage advocacy — but who's really got the time? Kids need continuous exposure to the arts. If teachers and parents are excited about art, if they enjoy it, they can carry it back to children. It doesn't always have to be serious art work — the "razzle-dazzle" stuff has its place too. Once exposed, children find the need to have theater — art — in their lives.