The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

A Star Is Born: 'Once the kids see the costumes, it's all I can do to keep them away,' says Carol Romo (left), who brings theater to local schools and enthusiastic children.

In crowns and gowns, young actors glimpse the regal world

'Let's Perform' gives kids an introduction to the theater's magic

By Michelle Ku

When Carol Romo comes into a room, she makes an entrance. Dressed like a medieval princess in big sleeves and a long flowing train, she visits classrooms to help children develop creativity and boost self-esteem by bringing handsome princes, beautiful princesses and dastardly villains to life. "Many times the kids ask if I'm a real princess," says Romo, the creator of "Let's Perform" theater. "Yes! The imagination still lives."

"Let's Perform," which welcomes kids from the age of 4 to about 10, has delivered the magic and excitement of theater to local preschools, elementary schools and day-care centers since January. In an hour and a half, Romo works with the children in an actors' workshop and helps them stage a show, complete with costumes, props and a soundtrack.

The next show begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, at Kindercare Learning Center at 1081 Foxworthy Ave.

"We encourage the parents to come, and other visitors are welcome. The kids love to do performances after they've worked so hard," Romo says. Romo also teaches dance classes but hopes to make "Let's Perform" her full-time career.

The program's goal is to bring performing arts to the schools at a time when art funding is being slashed from school budgets, Romo says.

"Kids today can't really use their imagination with TV and videos and all the little games they have," she says. "This really gives them the chance to step into the pages of the story and perform it."

Ida Gemignani, director of the Foxworthy Kindercare, says one of the advantages of "Let's Perform" is that Romo comes into the schools, which makes it more convenient than taking the kids on a trip.

"It seemed really interesting and I know that our school-aged children would really enjoy an activity like that," she says.

Every workshop Romo directs is different, depending on the children's age group. But each one includes a "how-tos of acting" session and the reading, rehearsal and full performance of an original story.

With the younger children, Romo works with them on expressing a range of emotions. She discusses stage presence, facial expressions and gestures with older children. Then she reads one of the stories, written by her husband Jack Romo, to the children.

Parts are assigned, and the children rehearse before performing stories such as "The Warrior Prince."

"To get up on a stage in front of a classroom is a really hard thing to do," Romo says. "We sense if there's an insecurity coming from one of the kids. If he really doesn't want to participate, we don't make him. There are times when I've urged young boys to take a role and then we can't get them off the stage afterward."

Since the focus is on getting children to be creative, the children do not learn lines. As the orchestrated and narrated tape plays, the children perform along with the words on the tape.

"You can't expect a lot from children in terms of memorizing lines. You have to give them things that they like doing," Romo says.

Ideally, there should be no more than 35 children in any one workshop, so every story has 35 parts. But Romo can always add another prince or princess--and she brings extra costumes, just in case.

Each session is $150. "If the school doesn't have a budget [for it], it's a great in-school field trip. They send a letter to the parent and ask the parent to send $5 with the child," Romo says.

Romo created the program from a concept she developed for entertaining at children's birthday parties. Initially, she conducted short dancing lessons, then tried using a story. "The first version was really rough, but the parents and the kids loved it," Romo says.

Besides writing the stories, Jack Romo also narrates the tapes. A seamstress does the costuming and a musician creates the orchestral scores for the stories.

"Once the kids see the costumes, it's all I can do to keep them away. Their little hands are reaching for the swords and the crown. They don't realize that there will be music even if I tell them before. When the music comes on, it's like this is for real," Carol Romo says.

For more information about "Let's Perform," call Carol Romo at 629-9721.

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