Alpharetta’s Mill Springs Academy enrolls just 300 students from kindergarten through high school, but it’s likely in that small group there is a future Broadway star.
The school’s educational philosophy focuses on developing the whole child, including subjects beyond the basics. Among them: musical theater.
“Everyone from first through fourth grades takes musical theater weekly, then it’s an elective starting in fifth grade,” said Kate McElliott, the school’s music director and theater teacher. “It builds confidence and teamwork skills. We find students are able to do a lot more than you think.”
The youngest students recently worked on a kid-friendly version of “Aladdin” that not only had them singing and dancing but also making magic carpets and building sets.
“We try to make them do a little bit of everything,” said McElliott. “That way they take risks they usually might not.”
The high schoolers are also hammering away on a “Star Wars” parody. With the guidance of the technical theater director, they’ve created a complex set; others are delving into stage makeup and costumes. The theme is attracting a lot of interest from kids who might not have considered being part of a theatrical production.
“We get a lot of kids who come in when something piques their interest, so with ‘Star Wars,’ I’m seeing a lot of 17-year-old boys,” said McElliott.
The theater program also takes students beyond the confines of the academy. Twenty-two middle schoolers recently participated in The Junior Theater Festival at the Cobb Galleria where they attended workshops led by Broadway directors and performed a 15-minute, age-appropriate musical based on the 1976 movie “Bugsy Malone.”
“We had mostly students who had never done theater before their elementary school show,” said McElliott. “It’s a neat opportunity for them.”
Lilliana Coco, 16, has been in the academy’s theater classes since second grade. She’s now a 10th grader who was in the ensemble cast of “Catch Me If You Can” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” and played the dragon in “Shrek the Musical.”
“I really love musicals, even though when we get closer to the show it’s insane,” she said. “The hair, makeup, mics, costumes – it’s really stressful. Sometimes we’re at school until 10 or 11 o’clock. But I’m having fun being with friends, being on stage and singing and dancing my heart out.”
Senior Henry Wallace started acting in eighth grade and has been part of productions since. His favorite role was the lead in “Catch Me If You Can.” The experiences he’s had at Mills Springs have him thinking about the next step.
“I’m not sure at what level I’ll continue, but I’ve already looked into what my college has to offer,” he said.
Whether or not students pursue acting beyond graduation, they’ve acquired skills that will stay with them, said McElliott.
“There’s a value in having such a strong theater program,” she said. “Our teachers, administrators and parents recognize that the theater department and its electives help students develop. They see these kids shine at something they enjoy; they see them come alive.
“The main emphasis is to get them involved and learn skills while working together, but the social and behavioral skills they’re learning doing this are important, too.”
Information about Mills Springs Academy is online at millsprings.org.
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Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
