MILWAUKEE — Once a month, eight kids ranging in age from nine to 18 years old gather at a local church in Milwaukee to write stories and practice improv.
The group is called Lost Tales, and it’s part of Milwaukee Youth Theater. All the kids in the group audition and earn a spot on the team. The group then works closely with Milwaukee Youth Theater’s Executive Director Harmonie Baker through a series of workshops to create stories. The kids decide what tales will be told, how they are told, character roles, and all other aspects of the production.
“Seeing the creativity that they bring is just insane,” said Baker. “It gives me energy working with them. I can’t think of a more fun job. I love showing up and being here with them. Doing improv and these workshops is really empowering for them. It lets them know they have something to add and have unique gifts.”
Naomi Grant, 15, has been a member of Lost Tales for the past three years, and credited Baker with helping her grow into a happier and more confident person through improv.
“She has impacted my life,” said Grant. “A lot has changed ever since I met her and was introduced into theater. I regained my confidence. I was struggling with depression before, and when she came in, it was just really nice. She said, ‘Hey, you don’t know how to act? Well, we are going to go out here, and we are going to get it done, and I’m going to support you throughout everything,’ and from there, she’s always been like my theater mom. I just love her so much.”
Lost Tales performs wherever they can across the city. From nursing homes to schools, they bring the laughter while forging strong bonds among each other.
“If we fail, we’ll all get together and do something together,” said Grant. “Like, ‘Oh my God, this person just fell. Let’s pick him up and act like it happened on purpose!’ You don’t know what you’re going to get when you go out there. Someone can say, ‘Oh my favorite color is red,’ and you have to respond to that immediately. Like, ‘Your favorite color is red? Well, my favorite color is green.’”
Through this experience, the kids said they’re able to hone their communication skills, connect with others, and learn to think fast on their feet. Onstage, it’s a theater production, but offstage, it’s about navigating real-life situations with savvy.
“You are going to find it everywhere,” said Grant. “People are very random, and they will say very random things at very random times, and you always have to come up with something like right there in the blink-of-an eye.”
Lost Tales rehearses their production May 13 - June 13, then begins public shows on June 14. For more information, click here.