Parents & Community Connections
Mr. Rotrekl leads a group of theatre students in Homecoming parade.
Note: All photos are click to enlarge for closer viewing.
Parents
I love working with stage parents. I know sometimes they get a bad rap in theatre circles, but I loved the support and help of parents. Ever since I was in middle school I worked on sets with my Dad and Mom and it became a family tradition that bonded us closer together. As an educator I wanted to encourage that sense of community and “family” I felt in my theatre experiences and wanted to include parents and community as much as I could.
My time as a Theatre teacher has provided me with so many amazing examples of families coming together and supporting their student technicians and performers. Entire families often would come on weekends, after work, and all hours helping to make sure the shows were successful and that everything was right for the entire production.
When it came to the shows the parents stepped up and helped with building and painting sets, organizing and building costumes, designing and implanting makeup, sound, lighting and use of microphones, ticket sales, advertisements, concessions, house managing, fundraising, backstage monitors and so much more. The parents at the schools I have served at have brought such love and support and I think fondly often upon the countless hours hot gluing costumes and building and painting away the day on a Saturday. The Stage Parents would take on so many of the roles and responsibilities often overloaded onto a single Theatre teacher and it was always greatly appreciated.
Wherever I have gone there have always been a supportive group of alumni, colleagues and parents there to support and encourage the work we do in Theatre. At a few schools we even honored parents at the Theatre Awards Nights with lifetime achievement awards and videos (such as the one to the right) thanking them for their hard work and dedication to helping Theatre thrive.
It is not a lie when I say at the bottom of every page “Powered by communities and educators like you” because it is so true that without parent and community support the work of doing the arts in schools becomes very difficult.
Stage Parent running the adjustments for student microphones.
Stage Parents helping sew and build costumes.
Thank you video for Stage Parents at Jefferson Middle School.
“I have known Brian Rotrekl for about 3 years. He was my son’s high school theater teacher. He is an amazing theater teacher whose passion and dedication is evident in all of his theatrical productions. My son used to be a boy that would just lock himself in his room and play video games during all of his free time. In his sophomore year he decided to audition for his first musical “Beauty and the Beast” and this is when his life changed forever. He was no longer locked in his room. He would stay after school every day to rehearse or help with building the set. He loved everything that had to do with theater and this is when he discovered that this was his true passion.
This is all thanks to Mr. Rotrekl. As a parent I observed how the kids loved and respected him which helped him develop a strong rapport with them. He made every student feel like they were important and recognized. Mr. Rotrekl even started a high school theatre awards night to recognize the kids for all of their hard work. They had dinner followed by an awards ceremony which I thought was great! Mr Rotrekl created handmade Oscar statue replicas made from wood that came from the set. How creative was that!
I haven’t even mentioned how all of his productions were beautifully realized on many levels making them all a pleasure to watch. The acting, the singing, the beautiful and colorful sets but most of all the professionalism of all the kids that participated in this and all of the productions that followed. The students displayed depth of knowledge and insightful confidence when portraying their character.
Mr Rotrekl has much to offer and would be an asset as a theatre teacher at any school. He is a creative director who works diligently and effectively with everyone involved. He truly cares about the students he teaches and will go the extra mile when needed. ”
Community
3,000 middle school students gather to watch the Morton East High School Theatre’s production of West Side Story.
When working in schools it is imperative to reach out into the community and build your program. As a Theatre teacher we need to market our shows to the community and build a name for our programs. It has always been one of my favorite comments to hear from audience members that the shows that are being produced and created are so much better than your usual “middle school" or “high school”shows. This high level of challenge and rigor that I, and everyone else working on the show, brings creates a feeling of something truly special and unique in educational theatre that is sensed and praised by the community.
I strongly promote the feeling of community within each theatre department. Having students go into the community to perform, recruit, promote and sell tickets helps to create a sense of community involvement. I try very hard to instill a sense of pride and ownership in what my students do onstage and backstage. This sense of pride creates noticeable differences in performance levels and ticket sales/audience numbers as well as community and school awareness and excitement.
Another way I have reached out into the community is through connecting my high school and middle school productions to the feeder schools in the network and beyond. When I taught middle school the 4th and 5th graders would come over and watch the shows twice a year and they were thrilled to see the older kids performing. As a high school teacher I engaged the middle schools and elementary schools again bringing them in for various performances and even developing curriculum for their students to do before and after the productions. The letters of appreciation and cheer we received from the students always put a smile on everyone in the shows faces.
Parents and community members gather together to see the Jefferson Middle School Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast.
Students from Reavis High School Theatre promoting upcoming shows and theatre program in Homecoming parade.
Another way I have worked and connected with communities is through my work on shows at the community theatre in Aurora. I served a Technical Director and set designer for the production of Alice and Wonderland Jr. and as prop and costume designer/master for The King and I. After these productions I was hired as director and technical director of the Winterstage production of Cats. All three experiences involved working with parents and community members to produce excellent theatre.
Community is essential to a thriving program. Connecting to the community through advertisements, radio ads, posters, ticket sale competitions, and social media have been things that have all been successful for me in the past in building community support and audience numbers. It has been an honor to work in so many amazing communities over the years.
“I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Brian Rotrekl during his time employed at Jefferson Middle School. To say that Brian has passion for the theatrical arts would be an understatement. He brings a vision to the programs he works with that surpasses what the average individual would strive for. His true gift, however, is how he leads his cast, crew and volunteers to see that same vision and bring it to fruition. I have followed his productions through the years watching him impact each venue that he works with and inspire programs to grow to new heights. The actors, and crew members who work with him are impacted in life changing aspects as they learn so very many skills while under Brian’s direction. Brian’s work has influenced me to have higher expectations from every other theatre program I see.”