DUNEDIN, Fla. — There is a theater group in Dunedin that’s not just putting on shows this summer, they are changing lives.
“Progressive Arts is really about having a safe magical place where people of any walk of life can shine, we are inclusive to all people,” said Kirsten Stiff-Walker, founder of Progressive Arts Theater.
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Stiff-Walker said her inspiration to create a theater group for the neurodiverse community stems from her own daughter, Carson.
“I believe that that is so needed and necessary, but not just to have a program for kids who are neurodivergent, what I really wanted to do, and what we do, is take typical kids, typical adults, neurodivergent kids, neurodivergent adults, find the talent, find the heart, and put them all together so they work as a team cohesively,” said Stiff-Walker.
This month the theater group is rehearsing for two different shows, Willy Wonka Jr. the musical and Mean Girls Jr. the musical.
However, the skills these performers develop on stage stay with them well after the show is over.
It doesn’t matter if you're Willy Wonka or an Oompa-Loompa; every role has incredible value for the performer.
“It does, it feels amazing knowing that your hard work pays off like that,” said performer Robert Schwartzkopf.
The bonds made at Progressive Arts can last for the rest of their lives.
“This theater just feels like honestly my family, I’m so lucky to have this theater here, and to talk to all different types of people, because it just really means the world to me,” said performer Mallory Twining.
You can see Willy Wonka Jr. Friday, July 10, and Mean Girls Jr. Friday, July 17, at the Dunedin Community Center at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.progressiveartstheater.org.
“I think that the love and the heart and the really amazing talent is going to shine through and those audiences are going to leave with fuller hearts and the way the world is right now we all need to have a fuller heart,” said Stiff-Walker
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