Paige Cuddihee, a recent graduate of St. Pius X High School, is headed to college in the fall. But before she takes that step, the 18-year-old Herculaneum native will take part one last time in an activity that holds significant meaning to her and her family.
Paige serves as director for the Arch City Kids Theater Troupe’s annual Broadway revue benefit, set for July 31-Aug. 2 at DeSmet High School in St. Louis County.
This is the 22nd year for the ACTT production, which raises awareness and helps collect funds for juvenile diabetes research.
“(The troupe) consists of kids age 8-18 from Jefferson County and St. Louis County who put on a show,” said Paige’s mom, Michelle Donovan-Cuddihee, of Herculaneum. “The kids do all things production related — auditions, song selection, directing, choreography, tech — basically anything inside the theater. The parents help with things outside of the theater — fundraising, chaperoning, volunteering.”
Since its inception in 2005, more than 350 local children and teens have participated, raising more than $430,000 for juvenile diabetes research.
Michelle said she and her husband, Andy Cuddihee, and their family have been involved with the program since 2009, although none of them are personally affected with diabetes.
“My oldest son, Parker, who is 30, had a friend who was in the Muny Kids and who had Type 1 diabetes,” she said. “The friend suggested he audition, and the rest is history.”
His brother Alex, 27, was also in the shows for a few years, and his stepbrother (also named Parker) doesn’t participate but helps support the efforts.
Paige has been involved since she was a small child, helping hand out programs before joining the cast at age 8.
Admission to the show is free, but donations are encouraged. All profits go to the Missouri/Kansas chapter of Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
High-energy production
This year’s Arch City troupe has about 50 cast members, Paige said.
“Some of our cast are also in Muny Kids and Muny Teens,” she said. “This year, we have I think five Muny families. Then we have a leadership team with 13 members.”
The leadership team meets beginning in the fall each year to come up with a theme and confirm a schedule.
“This year’s theme is ‘I Have a Dream,’ from the song from ‘Mamma Mia,’” Paige said. “The theme tries to focus in on our main goal, and this is about the dream of finding a cure.”
Auditions are held in April, and the cast is announced in early May.
“We give out the materials about six weeks before rehearsals start on July 20,” Paige said. “The first week rehearsals are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the second week it’s 3-9 pm.”
Michelle said insurance rules mandate that at least two parents are on hand for each rehearsal and performance.
The revue-style show features 11 songs in the first act and 10 in the second.
“We have songs from musicals ranging from classics like ‘The Music Man’ to modern ones like ‘Shrek,’” Paige said. “We like to have songs that can reach all the members of our audience.”
Paige said cast members affected with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) help ensure the message is unmistakably clear.
“The first day of rehearsals, we ask one of them to speak about their experiences, so everyone in the cast can know what we’re working toward,” she said. “Then, in the show, we have a cast member with T1D sharing their story with the audience, talking about their diagnosis and treatment and everything.”
Moving up through the ranks
Paige has kept a busy schedule over the last few years.
“I was an Ambassador at Pius, I was on house council,” she said. “I ran track, I played golf. Outside of school, I did competitive dance and studied voice.”
But she said she looks forward most to the ACTT production each summer.
“Watching it evolve has been incredible. It’s like a well-oiled machine,” she said. “When you’re chosen to be director, it’s a really proud moment.
“I’ve learned so many things, from being a cast member to the responsibility of being a director. I feel like most of my communication skills, my self-confidence comes from ACTT. I think everybody comes out of it better than they were.”
Not all is serious, though.
“While we do have a tight schedule, we try to make rehearsals fun,” Paige said. “We have dress-up days, we have a snow cone truck that comes. It’s one last fun thing before you get ready to go back to school.”
Both Paige and her mother said the short-lived schedule for the show makes it accessible to kids who might not otherwise be able to commit due to time constraints.
“It’s kind of run like a summer camp,” Paige said. “It’s high commitment, but only for two weeks.”
Her mother agreed.
“If it was an eight-week schedule, it would be tougher to schedule around,” Michelle said. “Also, with just that two-week window, they are more focused. For that two weeks, the kids are completely focused on just this.”
Stepping stone to Broadway
Meanwhile, parents and community partners do their part.
“We work on underwriting and sponsorships,” Michelle said. “We have an insurance company that underwrites our required insurance, and we have parents who do sponsorships and companies who donate.”
But the budget could always use more help.
“I have reached out to various people for donations. We have opportunities for sponsorships for our playbills, for cast T-shirts, for advertising.
“We’d love to have a tech sponsor, or even a whole-show sponsor.”
The ACTT program has provided a solid start for young people looking to break into the entertainment industry, even helping to launch some Broadway careers.
■ Last year’s director, Eureka grad Maren Burns, is working on a bachelor’s degree in musical theater at Ball State University
■ ACTT alumnus Michael Schimmele just finished a run as Babkak in “Disney’s Aladdin” at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.
■ Schimmele joins fellow Arch City alum Abigail Isom in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” now running at Stages St. Louis in Kirkwood.
■ Taylor Louderman, who has a sister with T1D, performed with Arch City Kids in its early years and went on to originate the role of Regina George in “Mean Girls” on Broadway. She is starring as Nellie Forbush in “South Pacific” at the Muny this season.
For more information about the ACTT program or this year’s show, check the websites at archcitykids.org or breakthrought1d.org.
Performances are set for 7 p.m. Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug 1, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Aug. 2. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Sponsors and underwriters have reserved seats, but everyone else is seated on a first-come, first-served basis.