Bellingham Children’s Theater Sets the Stage for Their 43rd Season!

By Jennifer Russo

What better way to nurture a child’s imagination than by giving them the freedom to express themselves, try on the personality of an entirely different character, and take the stage to share their performing arts talents with the community? Whether it is a child that seems born for the stage or one on the more introverted side that is looking for ways to grow, studies have shown that children and teens that are involved in the arts have an enhanced perspective of the world around them and higher levels of confidence and self-esteem.

Bellingham Children’s Theater welcomes kids in grades 4-9 to discover their talent, whether that be dancing, acting, singing or all of the above. It is a great opportunity to make new friends and tap into creativity, learn how to work and socialize with other people, and boost critical thinking, listening and retention skills. Children’s theater has also been shown to help kids become more empathetic and aware of how others feel and perceive things.

“The theater has been around for 45 years, though we did have an interruption because of the pandemic, so we are in our 43rd season,” says Carolyn Carey. “We started over at the Macy School, where we combined the chorus and drama club together for shows, but then decided to set off on our own. At first, we needed to limit our membership to 50 children because of space constraints, but now we can welcome anyone who is interested.”

The Bellingham Children’s theater has a dedicated group of volunteers that make it a success. Carolyn, who holds a master’s degree in education with a specialty in creative arts, is the drama director. Her daughter Anne Beth, who went to school for elementary and special education, is the choreographer. Music Director Robert Hammerton (who is also the musical conductor for the Nashoba Valley Concert Band and University of Delaware, among others) writes and composes the shows, which are all original works. Carolyn’s granddaughter Emily and her husband also support the theater, helping where needed to launch the shows, creating a wonderful experience for performers and their audience alike. 

“Our main goal is to teach kids to work toward something that they can be proud of. Learning a musical is a lot of fun and a lot of effort, but it’s great to see their faces when they have accomplished it,” shares Carolyn.

Children are encouraged to share what they are interested in doing each season and their preferences are considered when putting the show together, whether that be learning more lines, singing solos or as part of the ensemble, etc. For those kids who participate in drama groups with their school, there is not usually a time conflict so they can easily participate in both.

The theater practices once a week during the season at the St. Blaise church hall in Bellingham. The enrollment period begins in January, is open to children from Bellingham and neighboring communities, and the registration fee covers insurance expenses, costumes, and materials for the sets (which are all made by the crew). 

The theater had a very successful run with a musical called Personal Space in 2023, and this year members are working on a musical called If a Tree Falls. Without giving too much away, the musical tells the story of plants and trees in a forest, all of whom can speak, unbeknownst to humans. While searching for a cure to a disease, a botanist and architect seek ways to leverage the forest’s resources, which doesn’t go over well with its rooted inhabitants. There is a great combination of humor and environmental awareness. 

Bellingham Children’s Theater’s performance of If a Tree Falls will be held at Bellingham Middle School on October 25-26. The community is encouraged to attend and support these budding actors.  If you have a child who would be interested in participating next season, or would like to learn more about the theater, email Carolyn Carey at [email protected]