Position Paper

Theater is important for enhancing young children’s lives. Children who participate in live theater learn relationship-building and life skills. According to Foster and Jenkins (2017), there is an association between arts education and cognitive development. theater is a hobby that can spark a passion and turn into a career. It is important to have live theater and theater education, but in a safe environment. With more evidence that children in the entertainment industry can receive excessive emotional strain and endure sexual abuse, healthy relationships in our organization are more important than ever. 

This position paper is intended to address emotional and sexual abuse in the entertainment industry and how our organization avoids it. Actors Conservatory theater aims to provide positive opportunities for children in the fine arts by maintaining comfortable relationships with actors and curating a healthy work environment. Our organization believes that children should only be in the fine arts when it’s a safe environment.  

Positive Experiences 

Ensuring children have a positive experience includes protecting children from exploitation and the overworking that contributes to the emotional abuse of child actors. Oftentimes, we hear that rehearsals, classes, and line memorization can overwhelm the performers. To combat strain, it is helpful to create comfortable schedules with our performers that maximize efficiency and avoid overworking. It is healthy to create positive relationships between those in charge and the performers. Positive experiences between teacher and student in the theater can build motivation and learning. The highest-performing teams have one thing in common: psychological safety. It is beneficial to not punish for mistakes, but learn from them in a positive way. 

We want children to feel comfortable in their skin by building up self-confidence and keeping a positive environment. A problem often faced in the entertainment industry: fat-shaming. It has been seen as early in the industry as Judy Garland’s career when directors would prescribe her pills to control her weight. (Blakemore 2017) It is important to ensure children are participating in theater for the right reasons. According to Ghandas (2018), oftentimes children go into the entertainment industry because of talent or because of pressure from parents for attention and prestige. Check-in often with children to make sure they want to participate for themselves and not for others. Parents and directors can forget that this is actually about the child and the most important thing is that they are having a healthy experience.  

Appropriate Relationships

In theater, it is understandable to be worried about inappropriate relationships occurring. Oftentimes there is an imbalance of power and that’s why victims stay silent. It is important to prioritize appropriate relationships. We encourage anyone to step forward and seek help if needed. The most frequent imbalance we face is between directors and performers. NO adult should be hired to staff and supervisors without undergoing background checks and training on appropriate relationships and how to properly handle an imbalance of power. 

Another time that abuse can happen is when a child is left alone with an adult. There should be no individual auditions or read-throughs, and classes must have at least two adults for every session. Parents should be allowed to sit in at any rehearsal they want.  

An example of misconduct is the story of Garry Goodard, a director who worked directly with child actors. According to Moniskzko (2017), almost 40 years after the abuse happened, eight former child actors came forward to talk about the abuse endured under Goddard. One victim is Linus Huffman who told USA Today that Goodard used one-on-one mentoring as a way to molest him. This proves how important it is to create a healthy and safe environment for actors. 

Child Actors 

An argument often heard is: “Why even bring children into the entertainment industry if there can be emotional and sexual abuse?” Especially with the #MeToo movement, more stories of harassment and psychological abuse in the entertainment industry resurface daily. This is a great point. Further steps can always be taken to ensure children are comfortable and in a healthy environment. We need child actors to make the story come alive, and the children need the fine arts.

 Texas is a state that regulates child entertainment employment. As of Jan. 1, 2021, entertainment laws in Texas specify minors under 14 need special authorization to be employed as an actor. The office of the Texas governor specifies that this includes parent approval and approval by the Texas Workforce Commission (2021). The law specifies that “contracts are limited to no more than 7 years,” so these child actors don’t sign their lives away. (US Department of Labor 2021) Actors Conservatory theater strictly follows these state laws and only proceeds with permission from parents and special work permits.  

Conclusion 

With all the additional steps our organization has added to ensure performers are safe and comfortable, we are taking a stance against emotional and sexual abuse that can occur in the entertainment industry. By incorporating positive experiences and healthy relationships, _______ aims to provide positive opportunities for children in the fine arts.  

References

 Blakemore, E. (2018, March 1). Golden age Hollywood had a dirty little secret: Drugs. History.com. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/judy-garland-barbiturates-hollywood-studio-drugs.  

Foster, E. M., & Jenkins, J. V. M. (2017). Does Participation in Music and Performing Arts Influence Child Development? American Educational Research Journal, 54(3), 399–443. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26641601 

Moniuszko, S. M. (2017, December 20). 8 former child actors accuse producer Gary Goddard of sexual misconduct. USA Today. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/12/20/8-former-child-actors-accuse-producer-gary-goddard-sexual-misconduct/969095001/.  

Murshamshul, M.k., Udin, N.M., Ghadas, Z. A. A., & Mohd Sharil Nizam, M. R.,(2018) Child performers in the entertainment industry: An analysis from the Employment Regulations Perspective International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, https://www.academia.edu/51429082/Child_Performers_in_the_Entertainment_Industry_An_Analysis_from_the_Employment_Regulations_Perspective. 

Child entertainment laws as of January 1, 2021, United States Department of Labor, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/child-labor/entertainment#Texas .  

Child labor laws in Texas. Texas Film Commission | Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://gov.texas.gov/film/page/laws_child_labor.