LATTE Theater is truly my favorite theatre group I have ever joined in all of my years of performing. I was very nervous coming in and unsure how others would perceive me since I was very shy. However, as soon as I got to know everyone involved in latte, they were so nice and now all of them are my best friends.
In latte, everyone has a certain uniqueness and spark that makes them different from everyone else when it comes to performing and also as a person. Everyone in LATTE respects everyone’s differences and contribute with each other to help others perform different roles they are not comfortable with and discover things about themselves they never noticed before but it was always there.
In LATTE I learned so much about myself through the different roles that I have been playing. A lot of these roles I never would have thought of playing, but in LATTE, anyone can play any role they put their heart and soul into it when everyone in LATTE is backing you up, giving you acting tips, cheering you on to succeed and most importantly, have fun!
I am very thankful to have so many nice people to work with in latte and a wonderful director to help me whenever I am in trouble or unsure about the character I am playing. I am truly thankful to have found LATTE, especially how I came here surprisingly and by a bit of luck. I recommend it to anyone who is truly passionate about performing and expressing yourself in theatre. There truly is no experience like going to LATTE Theater.
Kyle Donnelly
It was hard to become part of LATTE after my last theatre group fell apart, but it was the right decision to try. There was not one person who did not welcome me with open arms. I was so amazed at how many outings people did together, and how many plans we were making inside and outside of theatre. I know I have made some life-long friends here, not only with the teens but with the adults as well. Now I can’t even imagine not knowing them! Everyone was so accommodating and allowed me to take on various leadership roles I love. Acting has always been such a passion for me. It’s wonderful when I find people who share some of that love.
The only thing I have ever aspired to be is an actress. I did whatever skits or acting classes came along and have always enjoyed playing different roles. Acting helps me to figure out who I am and fight through things in my life better than almost anything else does. It enables me to find different parts of myself and my personality with the different characters that I play. I go away having a part of them in me. But that’s not all theatre has done. It has opened so many doors to improve my dancing, improv, leadership and organizational skills. I feel I have helped my peers in some way with their abilities and self-trust along with changing themselves as they have done with me.
Acting is my life, was always my life, and will forever be me.
~ Rachel Bonarek
What can be said about LATTE? Amateur theater perhaps? No. LATTE holds the key to so much more. It paves a way for new friendships, and experiences. Before I joined LATTE I thought I wouldn’t do acting because I didn’t know where to. After hearing about LATTE and decided to not only join but become a part of the family, it exceeded my expectations. I went to the first workshop thinking “How will I ever get a good part?” I was thinking only of competition and its negatives. LATTE is the opposite of competition and negativity, its fairness and support for one another. LATTE has given me the knowledge that I can do anything I strive to do. It has pushed my comfort zone and is allowing me to have great fun all at once!
~ Kayla Devereux
Theater was my world for over 4 years in my life. Through theater I have gained friendships that will last a life time, a sense of humor that I share with my friends, and the ability to do well in public speaking. Since public speaking is one of the biggest fears in someone’s life, next to death, I am very glad that I have been able to overcome that fear.
I have made memories that will last all my life. Who could ever forget wearing a big giant red suit on stage pretending to be a Tellitubby? Without theatre, I would still be that quiet girl sitting in the corner in class. Now I am willing to speak my mind and care less about people think of me and more about how I feel about myself. Theatre has purely given me confidence and happiness.
~Carlyn Witt
Through my life, I can look to what groups made me what I am. Boy scouts and 4h let me understand many things, but nothing came close to comparison like the theater troupe I’ve grew with and still love. It offered friendships that remain the strongest ones I know to this day. I taught me about community and more importance the importance of contributing to a community you love. It might seem that taking a persona outside of yourself on stage would not give you any lasting life lessons, but the understanding of how to make things come together is one that will always be there. Even my ability to succeed academically is contributed somewhat to my theater troupe, when memorizing facts helped me know the most effective way to learn. Once involved in theater, its in your blood, and the after effects can only be described as life changing.
~Justin Pfluger
Above all else Theater means family. From all this I’ve gained experience in advertising, graphics and acting the segued into life skills of public speaking, time management, and most of all not to be, or to be less nervous in front of crowds. It has boosted my confidence, my comfort and my “extended theater family.”
~Chris Longino
Long practices, more work… why does anyone join a theater troupe in their spare time? As a member of this group- The La Grange Hometown Teen Players and now LATTE- I can assure all that there was every reason in the world to join this troupe. I meet friends that I have known and loved for years. I expand my ability as an actor and a playwright. And I put on great shows of humorous and serious quality. I had every reason in the world to join, and now I have every reason in the world to remain.
~Nick Edinger
LATTE Theater means a lot of different things to me. Throughout my years of involvement I’ve had many different opportunities. I’ve been an actor, director, playwright, and stage manager. I’ve been a student and a teacher. All of these things have given me insight and taught me individual life lessons. Knowing the people and working together with them has been an unforgettable experience.
Working with the advertising and marketing section, I gained confidence in everyday personal interactions. By becoming a playwright I improved my writing skills considerably while having fun and making jokes with my peers and mentors. By acting I grew to appreciate others allowed myself to let down my guard in a new way. This has helped me tremendously when I am put into new and difficult situations. My public speaking skills have improved dramatically and I’m more confident when around large groups of strangers. By being a director to my peers, as well as to younger children, I learned tack in a new way. Being a stage manager allowed me to improve my organization. I learned so much from theater simply by being involved and having fun.
Perhaps even more than I appreciate theater for teaching me life skills, I appreciate theater for providing me with a group of friends with incredible bonds. My theater friends are my lifeline, my second family. We love and support each other unconditionally and stick together through thick and thin. These people are my life. There is no easy way to describe what theater means to me simply because it means so much to me. There are no words to describe the influence that it has had in my life. In many ways, theater is my life.
~Alyssa Pfluger
I’m a college student studying for my Early Education degree, with a minor in dance. My love of dance and working with children/young adults I owe to the theater groups I was involved in growing up like, B.D.T and L.A.T.T.E. They brought me out of my shell, taught me the magic of theater, dance, and, gave me lifelong friendships.
~ Maddie Longino
