ST PAUL, Minn. — If you're going to play Miss Agatha Trunchbull in Roald Dahl's "Matilda, the Musical," you can't be afraid to get into character. Trunchbull is brassy, mean, and let's face it...she'd be convicted of child abuse if she were real.
At 16 years old, Tabby Haugen wasn't afraid to take on this lead role at Young Artists Initiative(YAI), St. Paul's East Side Children's Theatre. After all, she's a Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists student. But grade-school Tabby? She wouldn't have done it.
"I was just like a really shy kid," Tabby said.
When Tabby was nine, her extroverted big sister Ellie encouraged her to audition for a play for the first time.
"I was probably shaking," Tabby said. "I really did not know what to do."
YAI cast Tabby in the ensemble, and the experience was so positive it led her to perform in almost a dozen more productions with the nonprofit theater to date.
"They taught me how to be more confident and outgoing," she said.
During shows you can find Tabby's dad, Mark Haugen, in the front row.
"It just allowed her blossom and to shine," he said.
As a bonus, over the years Tabby and Ellie got to perform together. Now their youngest sister Malia, knows what sharing a stage with a sister is like, too.
Last weekend the nine-year-old played Bruce Bogtrotter. You may remember from the story, Trunchbull forces Bruce to eat an entire chocolate cake in one sitting. Yep, Malia and Tabby got to act out one of the most memorable scenes.
But much like Matilda, the Haugens know family is not limited to relation by blood.
"We have a gathering of parents right when we start," Mark said of the YAI rehearsal process. "We carpool and actually that's another way we grow and become more of a family and a village."
Matt Berdahl is the organization's artistic director.
"We would not exist without everybody participating," he said. "Whether it's families that have been involved for 10 years with the company or brand new."
If your child would like to get involved and is cast in a role, there is a $200 participation fee. However, financial assistance is available.
YAI also aims to save families money by offering "pay-what-you-can" days for certain performances, which are held at the Wellstone Center.