The early weeks of Spring are often the most precious. The start of the season (and the end of winter!) brings a renewed sense of possibility — we do not know what lovely happenings are in store, but we can imagine them taking place in the dappled sunlight and with blossoms on the trees.
It is also a time of restoration and — indeed — spring cleaning, not only of our physical surroundings but of our very spirits. For adults, this can mean taking stock of how far we have come since the start of the year; but for children of all ages, it can be an opportunity to let go of old patterns and see what emerges in their place.
In the coming weeks, ask your young actors to take a chance on themselves: are there feelings of self-doubt that they could “clean out” and replace with a sense of accomplishment? Are there old disappointments — perhaps about a part they did not get, or a line they forgot in performance — that could be reborn as optimism for the future?
We all know that gardens do not grow overnight; Nature moves at its own pace. But this Spring, encourage your students to claim this as a season of hope. Or as Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act V, Scene 1): Wish them “Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts.”
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