Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Have you ever tested ChatterBox Theatre’s innovative idea before
A. Yes, we have! Our founder, Cosmina Doiciulescu, came up with the idea in the summer of 2016 when she initiated a project and offered it to some of the children in the community. She directed this project with the purpose of empowering the children involved, encouraging them to create with the goal of improving their self-confidence. The project was proof of the concept that an interactive theatre with a clear learning outcome has great market potential and it greatly benefits the audience (both children and parents) as well as the students involved in the production of the play.
Q. Who is your audience
A. Our plays are dedicated to children from the ages of 4 to 12 years old. All of our plays are age-recommended. As a general guideline, we have three age groups: 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12.
Even though our plays are targeted toward a younger audience, we invite family members to join their children in learning through the ChatterBox Theatre experience. For this reason, we do NOT charge for tickets to audience members older than 12.
Q. What do your plays focus on?
A. Our plays focus on concepts like family, health, self-confidence, self-expression, compassion, friendship, bullying, gender inequality, positive vs. negative relationships, etc. We hope the lessons learned from our plays will bring awareness and stimulate the curiosity of our audience, and open the conversation between children and parents.
Q. Who is on the ChatterBox Theatre Society creative team?
A. The creative team at ChatterBox Theatre consists of highly creative artists, with diverse aptitudes, backgrounds, and interests in improvisation and interaction with audiences — all with a tremendous sense of humour!
Q. Who are your performers?
A. Our performers are most often students enrolled with local universities and colleges in Calgary. Our performers are people with a specific set of aptitudes that include not only a talent for acting, but also the ability to teach and interact with children, as well as a great sense of humour. We regularly recruit performers for our plays through open auditions.
Q. Who are your volunteers?
A. We currently work with three different categories of volunteers:
Education/Counselling: volunteers with an emphasis on child development and family relations advisors who will advise the Chatterbox Theatre team regularly regarding the scripts and the subjects discussed during performances. They also offer support to the community through our website and forum.
Children Advisors: volunteers who offer support and feedback during the production process (story-writing, auditions, and rehearsals).
Other Volunteers: volunteers who offer support during the days that ChatterBox Theatre Society is open to the public.
Q. Who are the local artists supported by ChatterBox Theatre Society?
A. We invite all local artists in the Calgary and Okotoks regions to submit proposals to exhibit their work for the public. Each artist will be able to rent the exhibition space in our Family Room for both Saturdays and Sundays of each week. Through these exhibitions, the artist will connect with the public, explain their work, teach and engage children about their artistic fields, and answer questions. Any artists interested in being a part of ChatterBox Theatre Society are encouraged to send a letter of introduction, including digital samples of their work to contact@chatterboxtheatresociety.com.