A FEW WORDS FROM OUR INSIGHTFUL YOUNG ACTORS...

Victoria, 12
"Our theatre has taught me one of the most important lessons of my life. This summer the staff and cast showed me that I could overcome obstacles that I had taken on the past year. Our theatre teaches lessons and morals that can help anybody now or later in life. I learned never to give up even when the going gets tough and that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. This is an experience I will never forget."

Kevin, 12
"I've been in the Boquet River Theatre Festival for seven years, and every one of those years it has been the highlight of my summer, if not my entire year. I will always remember doing this. It's really a part of me. I felt wonderful about my performance this year, and I believe that speaks for everyone in the cast. Our theatre is so wonderful, I really can't explain."

Trevor, 9
"At the BRTF I learned that when I give I will get back two times more. I learned that hard work is fun. I was shy at first, but then I wanted to do the show more. I loved the feeling in my stomach!"

Olivia, 10
"I worked very hard and enjoyed the process! Now I am so happy! I feel like I am a gifted girl who as accomplished a lot. At the BRTF, I learned that no one can insult you unless you let them. ('No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' - Eleanor Roosevelt) I love our theatre. It is very organized, and I thank everyone who helps maintain it."

Lucas, 11
"I learned that if you work really hard, it pays off. I learned to always respect others. Playing a big role made me feel special and important. I feel proud when people tell me 'good job'. I look forward to theatre every year, and I want us to put on more spectacular shows for everyone to come see."

Phoebe, 12
"The play is a puzzle. Each actor is a puzzle piece. The puzzle is only possible if all the pieces are there and are in good shape. Once the puzzle is fit together, it is a beautiful picture. Our theatre is a unique and happy community, and I am always sad when the shows end. Every year, new kids come to our theatre and have the time of their lives."

Alyssa, 13
"Ragamuffins was an adventure every night, never the same show twice. We were always perfecting and tweaking things, and if something went wrong we fixed it. That's the joy of live theatre and why I loved this production. My performance was the best I've ever done. I am very thankful for the rewarding part I was given. Everyone at the BRTF is really nice and full of energy; they're practically your family by the end of the summer."

Zachary, 10
"I felt very very good about my performance. I love the applause, the laughs, the compliments. I made a lot of friends and helped teach other kids how important it is to be honest."

Martha, 11
"It was a great show and a sensational experience. I was able to express my feelings at the BRTF, and I was not laughed at when I messed up. I learned a lot of new words and that I can be free, and my feelings are never hurt there."

Karina, 13
"At the BRTF, I've learned that if you say you can't do something it never can be possible, but if you believe in yourself and work hard, dreams, hopes and goals can come true. It is so great having fun on stage and being able to be proud of yourself. The BRTF gives kids chance to have a blast in the summer - like I have for the last nine years! Thanks a million."

Louis, 9
"If you're in a play, you need to have patience - patience to practice; and because you are not the only actor in the play, you don't get all the attention. If you go into a play without patience, I have no idea what to tell you. Even though you walk in the first day and you don't know the other people, in time you become friends, and it becomes funner and funner."

Anna, 10
"The theatre helped me to change a lot in my attitude. I learned always to be kind to others and to respect others. It felt wonderful when the audience laughed and clapped at me and my friends on stage. I feel so proud of myself that I could do it."

Edwina, 14
"This summer at the BRTF was unlike any other I've had before. I was the oldest in the theatre, and I learned to help the newer, younger children with projection, enunciation and acting. I learned that watching someone improve because of your help is one of the best feelings in the world. At the BRTF, kids learn useful lessons and skills for life. Every kid in my grade who has been in the BRTF has great oral reports; not one of them is embarrassed or nervous when it comes time for them to make a speech. BRTF actors are encouraged to try their best. It is a place to feel good about yourself."

Tara, 9
"My summer at the BRTF was exciting and wonderful. At first I thought that I would be scared, but once I got onstage I felt great. Acting makes you feel more confident in yourself. It makes you feel professional. I learned that we should respect each other and not fight because it won't help."

Nayeli, 13
"At the BRTF I learned about a person's life in a way I might not have if I had not played that role. Learning about other people's lifestyles is important. At the BRTF, we are each given a part that has been specially written for us. These parts are meant to not only challenge us as actors, but also to provide us with the opportunity to contribute as much as possible to the show."

Quin, 10
"The BRTF has been really, really important to me because it taught me that I can do anything. This year, I felt happy about my part because my character had two sides, one that was kind of weird and one that was serious. I felt great about my performance because every show was sold out and we got a standing ovation every night."

Ana, 10
"BRTF plays are so original and complex, yet they are easy to understand. In this show, Fourfold Gift, I learned that when you forgive somebody you are also giving a gift to yourself. The BRTF is hard in the beginning, then it's really fun, and when it's over, you feel like part of you is gone."

Marion, 9
"At the BRTF, everybody gets a lead role, but there are no stars. I loved my part, and I felt good about myself because I was doing it right. I liked working with other actors. I felt comfortable in front of the audience. I learned to be respectful of others, to respect their property, to be cooperative, and to focus. I learned not to fix my mind on 'I can't do it,' but to focus on 'I can do it.' BRTF parents are very active, and the staff is nice."

Kyli, 8
"I learned if you are blind or in a wheelchair (as two of our actors were), you can still do things if people help."

Zachary, 9
"I loved my part and learned how to do a show. At the BRTF, we have awesome actors and a great director. When new actors join our company, I will show them around and give them tips."

Madison, 11
"The BRTF is the best kids' theatre in the world!!!"