Saturday, February 22, 2014
Of all the people we have met during our family's "reality show," Tim Federle is one of my favorites. Tim was one of the choreographers on staff for the Broadway production of Billy ElliotÂ…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 08:27AM[SHARE]Friday, February 14, 2014
My son and I seem to be in a "dead zone" career wise, and neither of us is too happy about it. The difference, of course, is that Ben turned 16 in December and, as of mid-January, I'm one ye…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 08:32AM[SHARE]Friday, May 17, 2013
No question, it's time. I knew those words would come at some point, so it's not a shock to the system, but I'm somewhat surprised by how much emotion accompanies them. Our son, Ben, is leav…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 08:00AM[SHARE]Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Over the past two columns, I have written about what other parents have to say about raising a child in show business. We've looked at challenges they face and what they wished they had know…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:45AM[SHARE]Saturday, September 8, 2012
What Other Parents Wish They Had Known… One of my favorite television shows is Friday Night Lights, a beautifully written, small-scale drama that focuses on a small Texas town and its obse…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 08:31AM[SHARE]Friday, September 7, 2012
Balance is something every parent wants. Vertigo is what we can get, if we allow it to happen. That's true for all parents, but the juggling act that parents of child performers face is a co…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 11:00AM[SHARE]Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Being the parent of a child actor comes with a learning curve that has the potential to throw your life into chaos at any point. If you're not willing to endure the ebbs and flows that come …
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 07:01AM[SHARE]Friday, August 3, 2012
I became a better father when my dad died. It was five years ago this past week " a lifetime in many respects. Dad had been ill for some time, thanks to a slightly toxic gene pool that force…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:40AM[SHARE]Thursday, July 12, 2012
I still get nervous when I see my children perform. It's almost a reflex, a parent's prayer to a higher being that they will enjoy it, that they will do their best, that nothing will go wron…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 10:02AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 28, 2012
For teen performer, escaping the 'dead zone' requires a certain 'Mindset' Many child actors who start their professional careers in the Washington, D.C., area take the same path that my son …
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:30AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 14, 2012
Child actors face an inevitable reality " growing up. And that inevitable reality means they likely will be out of a job. Think about it: Have you ever wondered why people obviously in their…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:00AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 31, 2012
It's still somewhat difficult to fathom that I'm the parent of a college student and, in a few months, three high school students. Somewhere along the line, I blinked, and they grew up. My s…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 07:56AM[SHARE]Friday, May 25, 2012
Occasionally, I get questions from others whose children are interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts. Usually, they want to know how to pursue an agent or manager, and what th…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 11:00AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 17, 2012
Like many parents with school-age children, a standing feature on many of our Saturdays is toting the kids to various lessons. For all of our kids, those precious weekend hours have revolved…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:30AM[SHARE]Friday, May 11, 2012
Being the parent of a professional child actor has a lot in common with triathlons. Sometimes you run, sometimes you spin around in circles, and sometimes you work heroically just to keep yo…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:00AM[SHARE]Monday, May 7, 2012
Everyone has heard horrible stories about stage parents. Reality shows paint the worst pictures in vivid, cable-ready HD. Tabloids are littered with tales of the Lindsays, the Brittanys, the…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:00AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 3, 2012
"I saw my sis go pitter pat. Said I can do that. I can do that." Five and a half years ago, my little boy Ben was dancing in the basement of a woman's house in Maryland, showing off his gymn…
SOURCE: DC Metro Theater Arts at 09:00AM[SHARE] 
