From jazz and tap dance to acting and stage production, Sooner Theatre offers a wide variety of classes for anyone looking to pursue their passion for performing arts. While the theater opened on Main Street in 1929, its camps, classes and full-scale productions began just 21 years ago.
Born and raised in Norman, executive director Jennifer Baker took a summer acting camp at just 5 years old. After her acting career in New York City, she found herself back home, where she recognized a need for musical theater among this area’s youth. She then set out to create a space for children interested in acting, singing and dancing on stage.
Now, Sooner Theatre provides countless classes and camps for children ages 3 through high school. Classes run from September to the end of April, where students can showcase their skills in the annual recital. The theater also provides main production classes for elementary, middle and high school students, along with a Broadway Babies class for preschoolers.
“We have students who are doing spotlights for shows, working backstage and learning to build sets, as well as those who are learning the actual material to present the show, including full choreography and scene work,” Jennifer said.
Students can engage in year-round dance classes, including tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop, or audition for acting technique classes, vocal lessons and master classes with Broadway performers. Children can learn magic, take part in miniature productions, write their own scenes and sharpen their acting skills in 20 different summer camps.
Sooner Theatre also offers private college preparation classes for students who want to pursue musical theater as a career.
“Kids love being in the shows,” Jennifer said. “But we believe those classes where they're learning technique is what makes them better. They're working on their ballet, their tap and technique and honing their craft. They’re not just performing in shows, which is kind of the icing on the cake.”
Musical theater classes allow students to step into themselves and pursue their creative side. Development director Nancy Coggins says she has witnessed students struggle to speak up at the start of classes to ultimately belting out a solo on the big stage by the end of the year.
She also believes the skills students develop in performing arts translate to other aspects of life.
“Exploring other characters in the world gives you an opportunity to figure out who you are as a human,” Coggins said. “Our kids do really well transferring the skills they learn on stage when they have to improvise because someone has forgotten a line to being able to improvise while giving a group presentation at school or to their board of directors when they're grown and flown.”
Sooner Theatre provides a space for performers of all ages. For those interested in auditioning, Norman’s theater community welcomes everyone with open arms.
“You may have someone who is stepping on stage for the first time in their life next to someone who's already had Broadway credits,” Jennifer said. “Or maybe there's a grandpa who hasn't done a show since he was in high school. You just get this mix of skill levels and it's really special. You have to start somewhere. Where else can you do it? Come to Sooner Theatre.”