ROA was started by Adebelle Anderson, a 16-year-old Junior in High School who was looking for a good theater group to plug into, but couldn’t find one right for her. She spent time trying out many different ones but found a common problem: theater for youth that is positive, inspiring, motivating, and encouraging is not easy to find. Some theaters pushed kids to dress, act, and say things that were not appropriate for their age—some (and most) had a toxic environment where actors felt they were not important or looked down on when they didn’t get “an important role”. It didn’t matter where she went, she was disappointed. She knew theater was meant to be so much more!
The most common theme,
Everywhere you looked, there was an adult doing a job that a youth could easily take on.
Actors were just given instructions and followed them, they had little hand in the actual creative process.
That is why ROA exists. Everywhere in musical theater you can find young people making a difference and changing the worlds around them. The word Astonish is dedicated to Jo March (from the beloved novel and musical—Little Women), who was a revolutionary teenage girl. She was a playwright, actor, novelist, and trailblazer! She is just one of the many.
Kids today are less than challenged. They have talent beyond measure, but few have really anywhere to channel it. Especially not in a collaborative environment. Some have turned to social media (creating makeup tutorials, playing their instrument, or singing ect.) while others have kept their talent to themselves as a pass time or not even knowing they have that talent!
ROA’s mission is to create an environment for them to spread their wings, “shine as brightly as the sun”, and be a part of something they can be truly proud of! Developing leadership skills, cultivating confidence, and building a team! Teaching them that every role is important and that everyone in the production plays a valuable role. Giving them a chance to learn real life skills in responsibility, teamwork, and what it takes to put on an amazing production!
Though ROA is just getting started, we are working to build a community–a family–to change lives, change our world, and to support the next generation in their passions and talents!
This is just the beginning.
The future begins with you!
–Adebelle Anderson
