The sense of belonging grows with every rehearsal and theater practice.
Henry Pippenger has autism. The charming, friendly 11-year-old is highly intelligent, but his condition creates significant barriers in social situations and in big groups of people.
But being on stage, and interacting with other actors that are part of the Center Grove Fine Arts Academy with him, has helped Henry thrive.
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“It’s kind of hard for me, because I have autism. But they’re very understanding of that,” he said. “The music and the (choreography), if you need help, they’ll help you. By no means is it easy, but it’s very good knowing you have someone who really cares about you on your side.”
Everyone deserves an opportunity to be part of a theater performance. That’s the foundational value of the Center Grove Fine Arts Academy. Organizers of the theater ministry have worked to make it inclusive to all children, regardless of their abilities.
No one who comes to audition is left out; everyone is guaranteed to take part in the performance in some capacity.
“When a student auditions, it can be fearful. They can be afraid just of the audition process,” said Mark Landis, worship minister at Center Grove Church and director of the academy. “We want them to feel accepted from the beginning, knowing that they can do their best or their worst; they’ll still be part of the production, and grow in their craft through that process.”
The Center Grove Fine Arts Academy was founded as a ministry of Center Grove Church, to give young people opportunities in the arts. At the time, there were few chances for students to get involved in theater on the southside, Landis said.
By making it affordable to parents, and open to anyone ages 8 to 18, the program provides a unifying experience for children and their families.
“You basically find another family that you didn’t know was there,” said Johnny Gaiffe, an academy member from Avon. “I’ve only been doing this for two years, but you can find another group of people you can call your own.”
“We wanted to build students as well as their families together into one unit, so that parents and the entire family is part of the production one way or another,” Landis said.
Since it was founded in 2014, the academy has staged 12 productions, including “Godspell,” “Annie” and “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The organization’s version of “Mary Poppins” opens on Friday.
Participants are given different roles on stage, behind the scenes and with musical ensembles. Parents help build sets, do costumes, keep backstage organized, put makeup on the actors — all of the things necessary to pull off a theater production.
Giving every performer the attention they need requires support from volunteers, parents and the actors themselves.
New to “Mary Poppins” has been the formation of a leadership team, which includes older students who applied to be a part of the productions for the next year. Participants had to apply and commit to the team, as well as do additional work building their own leadership approach.
“I wanted to learn theater skills, but to also help the directing team. When you have 150 kids in a show, the directors can’t teach all the kids they want to. I wanted to help them out with that, to pass on the skills they gave me,” said Adam Haynes, 16, of Greenwood, a member of the team.
For those students, the team has been an opportunity to take ownership and responsibility for aspects of the performance.
“We can all go up on stage, but when it comes down to it, we’re all awkward theater kids,” said Olivia Eaker, 18, of Indianapolis. “So to have a leadership position and talk to other kids who might be more shy than others, to build a relationship they might not have had gotten with a director or something, that’s important.”
For the academy’s first show, “Godspell,” 30 students took part. The next production was “Shrek the Musical,” and more than 50 young people participated in it. Casts have grown steadily since, to the point where “Mary Poppins” will include a cast of 156 people.
To accommodate the interest in the academy and find a role for everyone, performances feature double-cast roles for the main characters, Landis said.
In particular, the academy has become a haven for students with autism who want to be involved in theater. The organization has worked with Cornerstone Autism Center, partnering with them to help children with autism to take part. Organizers have set aside quiet, low-lit places to serve as places to take a sensory break during rehearsal time.
A special sensory-friendly performance of “Mary Poppins” will be staged on May 3, with adjustments to the standard production to appeal to all audience members.
The result has been life-changing for those students who have taken part.
“The last two years, we have seen so many ‘a-ha’ moments,” said JJ Tidd, a Southport resident whose son Justin has autism and is involved in the academy. “He has written about how his anxiety is a prison. But when he gets onstage, it gives him all the words, so he can just act them out. It’s something he doesn’t have to worry about.”
Theater has been a positive influence in Justin Tidd’s life for the past seven years. The 17-year-old Southport High School student has autism, and though loud noise, bright lights and chaotic activity can be over-stimulating for those dealing with the condition, Justin has thrived, JJ Tidd said.
“Everyone is very non-judgmental, everyone is very accepting,” she said. “He is always excited about coming, and as a parent, it’s hard to say, ‘You can’t be a part of that.’”
When he was 10, Justin was attending a summer camp that encouraged him to try out for a theater production they were doing. He received a part.
“It went against everything that you are supposed to like to do as someone with autism, but he loved it,” said JJ Tidd, Justin’s mother.
Justin had been involved in local theater every since. In 2016, the Tidd family was introduced to the program at Center Grove Fine Arts Academy. Justin tried out for their production of “Elf: The Musical,” and was cast as the lead, Buddy.
“It was pretty incredible as parents to watch, to see how far he’d come,” Tidd said. “That was when he figured out that he loved musicals: he loves to sing, he loves to be a part of this with people.”
In “Mary Poppins,” Justin has been cast as Bert, the friendly chimney-sweep.
“Through his participation, he has grown in his ability to relate to individuals off the stage. He can carry on conversations, because of the learning he did on the stage, where he learned to talk to people and look at people when having a conversation,” Landis said. “That’s something that theater does regularly for students with autism.”
This is Henry Pippenger’s first year in the program, and will play one of the bankers in “Mary Poppins.” Michelle Pippenger, his mother, had learned about the program and its inclusive nature, and thought it would be beneficial for Henry.
He had previously been involved in school performances.
“I love it here. It extends my musical experience by a lot, and adds on to what I love to do,” Henry said. “It’s been a divine experience.”
To help Henry get acclimated and thrive in the program, he was matched with an older and more experienced member of the academy, who mentors him.
“Everyone has been so good for him. It has given him such confidence. He calls these people as his best friends,” Michelle Pippenger said. “He has a sense of belonging now. Everyone wants to belong to something.”
While the immediate goal of each performance is to stage a crisp and professional show, organizers also see ancillary benefits that come from the process of putting a musical together.
Students learn time management, they interact with people that they otherwise might not every meet, and they build confidence as the performance comes together, Landis said.
“The students who I know have struggled at the beginning of a show, to see them at the end just start to shine, where you can see their faces light up — every single show I’m in tears because the kids have grown so much,” he said.
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“Mary Poppins”
When: 7:30 p.m. April 27 and May 4, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 28 and May 5, 3 p.m. April 29 and May 6
Where: T.C. Howe High School, 4900 Julian Ave., Indianapolis
Who: The Center Grove Fine Arts Academy
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for students
Information: cgfinearts.org
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Center Grove Fine Arts Academy
What: An educational theater arts ministry that formed at Center Grove Church with the idea of including all children ages 8 to 18 in theater production
Cost: $100 per person for each show, though scholarships are available for students
Summer camps: The academy offers week-long summer camps for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Camps are $200 for the week, and are held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Hope Church, 5307 Fairview Road, Greenwood. The camp schedule is as follows:
- “Wonder Land: A High Seas Adventure” — June 4-8; for students in kindergarten through third grade
- “Roald Dahl” — June 11-15; for students in fourth through eighth grade
- “Under the Big Top” — June 11-15; for students in ninth through 12 grade
Information on future performances and activities: cgfinearts.org
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