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 leaving Billy Elliot this weekend; his … Continue reading
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 known. In this final segment, I … Continue reading
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 obsession with high school football. The show’s overarching theme … Continue reading
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 constant threat to your family’s … Continue reading
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 with your new … Continue reading
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 forced him … Continue reading
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 wrong and, if it … Continue reading
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 did, performing in Ford’s Theatre’s A Christmas Carol. A … Continue reading
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 20s or 30s were playing teens … Continue reading
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 son, Nicholas, finished his first year … Continue reading
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 they should expect. Often I will point them … Continue reading
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 around one place: a dance studio in Northern … Continue reading