LIFE AS A MILLENNIAL STAGE MOM

A journey into the CUTTHROAT and ADORABLE world of professional CHILD ACTORS.

-  Lauren Hilgers

THIS PAGE AND FOLLOWING: Students at Applause a performing-arts program in Manhattan

MY LIFE AS A STAGE MOM, or at least a stage mom in training, began in the fall of 2022, when my then-7-yearold daughter, June, was mesmerized by a production of Into the Woods on Broadway. Or it might have been the summer before, when her cousin taught her the words to "Dear Theodosia" from Hamilton and they spent weeks singing the song everywhere we went: outdoors and indoors, walking down the street, in the back seat of cars, on a crowded train with headphones on. But the point of no return came in January 2023, when Instagram's advertising algorithm triangulated my interests, sensed my vulnerability, and fed me an ad for an organization called A Class Act NY, urging me to audition my daughter for a production of something called Into the Woods Jr.

The first time this ad appeared, I was on the subway, heading somewhere I can't recall. I had not yet been introduced to the network of theater programs-the long list of Jr. shows that offer children a chance to sing and dance onstage. I knew nothing about voice lessons, acting coaches, or talent showcases. I had never encountered a folding blue screen or wondered who voices JJ on Cocomelon (it's a very talented kid named Cody Braverman). It was almost an afterthought when I asked June if she would like to audition, and when she said "yes," I took a page from my own mother and warned her that the competition might be steep. She might end up playing a tree.