OUR VISION
The theatre is dear to many people because it is a place to escape. A world where you are completely immersed in the character, setting, and story of the performance. A type of art that can never be replicated in another form. However, we also recognize that theatre is extremely important to education. It teaches students skills like public speaking, professionalism, and organization, but it also shapes them as people, imbuing confidence, determination, and most importantly, empathy. In a world where love and collaboration are becoming increasingly scarce, we must fund the next generation of artists because, in doing so, we create a better future. The Theatre 4 Kids Foundation envisions this future where every student interested in the performing arts can experience it from the beginning of their education
OUR TEAM
Elena Calsyn
Vice President
Elena Calsyn is a high school student who loves to express herself through the performing arts, specifically musical theatre. She has been a part of many theatrical productions throughout her life, and some of her favorite roles she has played include Pyramus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda the Musical. Elena is both state-wide and internationally ranked superior for musical theatre by the ducational Theatre Program at the international Thespian Festival. Theatre is a very important part of Elena’s life, and she thinks that every individual should have the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most meaningful and
entertaining art forms. Elena hopes
to share the joy of theatre to as
many students as possible.
Caden Peng
President & Founder
Caden Peng is a high school student trained in singing, dancing, and acting. He has been in over 17 theatrical productions and has performed at distinguished venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Strathmore Music Center. He made his television debut on Maryland Public Television in The Legacy of Hal Prince and is state and nationally ranked superior by the International Thespian Festival/Educational Theatre Association. The two favorite roles he has played are Trunchbull (Matilda the Musical) and Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast). Caden hopes to inspire more young students to find the performing arts and to create a world where theatre can be enjoyed by everyone.
Eleanor Campione
Secretary
Eleanor Campione is a high schooler
who loves everything performing
arts. She has played three instruments and is currently a soprano in her choir. She has loved theatre since her very first play in middle school, where she was Rose in The Alibis, and got to perform a stage fight. Beyond that, her favorite role has been the Acrobat in Matilda the Musical. She also preformed the song “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” with two other students at the Virginia Thespian Festival, and their performance was recognized by the state as superior. Theatre has
become a fundamental part of who she is as a person, and she hopes that she can help kids find a passion in theatre like she once did.