East Grand Rapids — Theater is everything for Katherine Wendling, an East Grand Rapids Middle School seventh-grader. Her interest in acting was ignited during her time at Wealthy Elementary, taking on roles in productions led by the school’s musical director, Jane Siegel. Katherine is now spending her afternoons back at Wealthy, volunteering to assist Siegel with the upcoming production of “Finding Nemo Jr.”
During a late-January rehearsal, Katherine was at the front of a chorus of kindergartners and first-graders, coaching them through musical numbers with animated hand gestures, fun dance moves and words of gentle encouragement for the more shy students in the group.
“You’ve gotta keep smiling,” Katherine reminded them. “Your parents are going to be taking pictures.”
Katherine loves helping out with Siegel’s productions because she found a calling and a purpose through her involvement in theater, and she wants to make sure younger students have the same opportunities she did.
“I think it’s just so important for younger kids to keep getting involved with (theater),” Katherine said. “I know some kids leave it over time. … But when I was younger I did this, and I stuck with it.”
Amid the hustle and bustle of a rehearsal, with scores of young thespians filling the auditorium to run through songs, Katherine spoke to SNN about her love of theater and where she hopes it will take her in the future.
What is your dream for the future? “I would really like to be on Broadway at some point. But I’d also really like to help kids, once I’m done with that, learn about theater. Like at a community theater, or at Wealthy.”
If there are obstacles along the way, Katherine’s ready for them. One of the biggest lessons she’s learned is: “Even when it gets hard, stay with it.”
“There’s always going to be ups and downs in theater,” she said. “There are really hard moments, but there’s also good moments if you keep pushing through it.”
Why is this your dream? “Because I grew up to love theater, and I think younger kids will really like it too.
“The first time I was really involved in theater was my fourth-grade musical. We did ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and I was the Scarecrow. I really learned to love it because I loved the classmates and I just loved the opportunities I could have.”
How are school and your teachers helping you achieve your dream? “They’ve really just helped me discover it, and they’ve given me opportunities to do that and explore that passion.”
Others in her life have also been encouraging and supportive of Katherine’s passion: “My mom absolutely helps me so much, and my voice teacher helps me a lot too. And my mom, my dad and my younger sister — they all come and support me through every show.”
“She’s so naturally talented. … She takes it so seriously,” Siegel said. “It’s just her way of expression. … The theater, singing, everything — that’s just what she loves.”
Siegel said Katherine’s been a huge help. She commended the seventh-grader’s acting chops, as well as her patience and knack for interacting with younger students.
Performances of “Finding Nemo Jr.” are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 and Friday, Feb. 7, and from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Wealthy auditorium, 1961 Lake Drive SE, East Grand Rapids.
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