A future movie star in our midst

Since she was a little girl, 13-year-old Meghan has dreamed of being an actor. She even told her family that she plans to go to college in California, so she’ll be near Hollywood.

Variety is helping Meghan, who was born with cerebral palsy, come closer to that goal by offering opportunities like Variety Children’s Chorus and Variety Children’s Theatre. Meghan started with Chorus five years ago, and when the Theatre program was developed in 2009, she jumped at the chance to get onstage.

As she rehearsed for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in 2009 and “OLIVER!” in 2010, and now for “The Wizard of Oz,” she has only grown more certain that acting is the career path for her. And as she looked out at the audience during the first two musicals, she had visions of all the stages she will grace in years to come.

Even more than the acting experience, though, what Meghan has most loved about Variety Children’s Theatre is all of the people who have touched her life because of the program. She has learned a great deal from the directors and professional adult actors, and other children who share the stage with Meghan have become life-long friends.