Jesters Theatre builds community and confidence
At Jesters Theatre (Jesters.ca) in Mission, B.C., the vision is “People first, product later.” It’s a charitable program of Youth Unlimited offering theatre programs for youth in Grades 3 to 12.
Devotional activities help teach kids about Christ. But the main mission is to embody the values they teach.
The kids “need to have known, just by our actions, that when they show up they are loved, they are going to be celebrated and they are valued for their unique contribution,” says artistic director Ryan Scramstad.
Storytelling was at the heart of so much of what Jesus did.
Everyone who comes to the community is welcome. “Theatre is a magnet for misfits,” Scramstad says. “Oftentimes you’ll get the people who just don’t fit in anywhere else. So let’s put God at the steering wheel of that. Let’s give them that safe space they already naturally feel drawn to.”
Over the years he’s noticed the practice of theatre – memorizing lines, becoming a team, working through stress together – teaches kids they’re capable of more than they realize.
“It boosts my confidence,” says Grade 9 student Mark Langmann, who’s been involved about two years. And he mentions other important things. “You get a lot of good snacks and it’s really fun. Everybody enjoys going there.”
Jesters offers a yearly full-scale production, weeklong camps in the summer, and smaller-scale classes in the springtime with activities like dance and improv.
Along with confidence boosting theatre gives many opportunities for reflection.
If someone is playing a bad guy, they might feel like their character is doing horrible things. But this allows staff to ask them questions like, What does God love about your character? What can be redeemed in this? What kind of journey are you on?
And if someone is playing a good guy, it’s still an opportunity for empathy – to learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
As much as Jesters lives its vision of people first, product later, there is still a lot of value in the theatre production itself.
“Theatre is an art form God loves,” says Scramstad. “Storytelling was at the heart of so much of what Jesus did. The gift of being a storyteller is not one to be overlooked.”