Oak Grove Theatre Arts is proud to announce the debut production of its new Student Production Leadership Program, launching with the middle school musical Dare to Dream Jr! This initiative places students at the center of the creative process, empowering them with real-world leadership responsibilities across artistic, technical, and managerial areas of theatrical production.
Designed to go beyond traditional classroom learning, the program allows high school students to lead and mentor their younger peers, reflecting Oak Grove Theatre Arts’ commitment to hands-on, experiential learning.
“Leadership isn’t something students develop by watching from the sidelines,” said Scott M Brusven, Artistic Director of Oak Grove Theatre Arts. “It’s developed by doing. By making decisions, solving problems, collaborating with peers, and taking ownership of outcomes. Dare to Dream Jr! is more than a show; it’s a living classroom.”
Learning by Doing: Why Experiential Education Matters
Educational research continues to affirm that experiential and project-based learning deepens student engagement, improves knowledge retention, and builds critical 21st-century skills such as communication, adaptability, and teamwork. The Student Production Leadership Program intentionally mirrors professional theatre environments, allowing students to apply concepts in real time while receiving mentorship from experienced educators and artists.
Through this program, student leaders fully realized this production by filling all the creative and technical roles in creating the music. They are the Director, Choreographer, Music Director, Technical Director, Lighting/Scenic/Sound/Hair & Make-Up Designers, Acting Coach, and Stage Manager.
Students Ready to Lead
According to Brusven, these student leaders weren’t simply handed responsibility; they earned it.
“These student leaders have spent nearly a decade immersed in theatre,” Brusven said. “They’ve trained, performed, observed, reflected, and grown. These artists have been in anywhere between 16 and 25 shows each. They were not only ready for this opportunity, they were overdue for it.”
Theatre as a Leadership Incubator
Theatre education uniquely blends creativity with discipline, and empathy with accountability. By placing students in leadership roles, Oak Grove Theatre Arts champions learning born of responsibility, collaboration, and authentic human experience.
“Students learn best when their work has purpose,” Brusven said. “When they know their decisions matter, when their peers rely on them, and when their creativity has a real audience. That’s when learning sticks.”
While student leadership roles exist in many theatre programs, fully student‑produced musicals, particularly at the middle school level, are rare. Oak Grove’s program is a unique and innovative opportunity for the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Looking Ahead
Oak Grove Theatre Arts plans to continue expanding the Student Production Leadership Program in future seasons, offering more students the opportunity to grow as artists, collaborators, and leaders.
“Our mission is to develop confident, compassionate, capable young people who will go on to be the next generation of creatives and leaders in the world,” Brusven said. “Theatre is the vehicle, but authentic, collaborative leadership is the destination.”
Dare to Dream JR! performs April 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 and 19 on Oak Grove’s North Campus in the Scheels Performing Arts Center. For tickets and more information about Oak Grove Theatre Arts, click here.
