By Guadi Rabino
Assistant Managing Editor
Mira Costa freshman Hailey Staszkow combined her passion for theater and her love for helping children in special education through her creation of Anchorless Productions, a company that brings children together with volunteers to engage in performing arts. Staszkow began her journey with Anchorless Productions in October 2016, when she founded the company. The first production is a 30-minute adaptation of the musical “Aladdin.”
Click to read a summary on the Broadway adaptation of Aladdin
“When I attended Manhattan Beach Middle School, I had close bonds with some special education kids in my classes, and I really enjoyed being around them,” Staszkow said. “I saw how in the classroom they weren’t treated like normal people, and I wanted to create a theater company that unified the two together. I wanted to show them that they can do anything they want, and they weren’t limited by anything at all.”
The special education students have been practicing twice a week since mid-February for the production of “Aladdin.” The show is set to take place at Mychal’s Learning Place in Hawthorne on June 10 and 11.
Click to visit Mychal’s Learning Center website
“I love to go to Mychal’s because I can just go and forget about the day and my worries and just have fun working with these people,” Anchorless team member and freshman Jack Bush said. “It’s not only fun, but it makes you feel great. When we finish a new scene or dance, the students get so happy, and it makes you feel amazing knowing that you’re helping make their day.”
The young adults at Mychal’s Learning Place ranges from ages 16 to 22. Most of the kids at Mychal’s deal with autism Staszkow said. Many of them struggle to memorize lines, read and act, but Staszkow’s ultimate goal is seeing these students overcome their disabilities and show their talent.
Click to see Staszkow and her students during practice at Mychal’s
“It is extremely rewarding being approached by these kids at the practices and hearing about the progress they’ve made since the last time I saw them and how excited they are to continue working,” Staszkow said. “In the past couple of months, I’ve seen them become more confident and more outspoken, and it’s been amazing.” In order to fund the company, Staszkow has been fundraising since early November 2016. The funds are needed to purchase the rights of the show as well as the materials for building sets and creating wardrobe. Some fundraisers include Fiton Studios collaborations, bake sales and donations made by members of social media.
“A show is very expensive to produce,” Staszkow says. “Not only did the show require sets and props, but the rights alone were close to $700. As soon as I found out the show we were doing, I realized I had to begin fundraising right away. It has taken a lot of hard work to be able to raise enough money to put on the whole production.”
Kaszkow plans to expand Anchorless Productions further by introducing it to different after-school programs across the country. In the summer, she also hopes to file Anchorless Productions as a non-profit organization, meaning that the company would not utilize its surplus revenue to benefit the owner of the company.
“I want this to be something that goes way past me and my working on it,” Staszkow says. “I really want it to be something that’s handed down and turned into this company, not just a high school project.”
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