A Newtown Girl In An American Girl World

By Eliza Hallabeck

The commute from Newtown to New York City can be a long one, and Meaghan Elliot has been commuting multiple times a week with her mother to perform about nine performances at the American Girl Theatre.

Meaghan, a 13-year-old who will be an eighth grade student at Newtown Middle School this fall, has had many fun and challenging experiences with theater in the last couple of years.

Despite the occasional disturbance to her school routine, she has maintained an A average and Honor Role recognition while playing her character, Kit Kittredge, this past year.

When Meaghan, daughter of Mike and Cheryl Elliot, realized she could not keep up with her school work like a normal student, her teachers at the Newtown Middle School started to support her.

Arlene Spoonfeather, an art teacher at NMS, told her to travel to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City to view the exhibition on the Egyptians, because Meaghan had missed the lecture and the reading material for her art class. Meaghan, who has been commuting into New York City with her mother to play a leading role in Circle of Friends: An American Girls Musical at the American Girl Theater, had no problem making it to the museum, and she turned in a report with the rest of the class, she said.

“My teachers were so unbelievably supportive of all this,” Meaghan said.

Meaghan first auditioned for the American Girl Theatre about two years ago, she said, after a friend of the family had told them that Meaghan had to try out.

Meaghan said the longest part of the audition is waiting after the final audition.

“They said the wait could be up to two weeks, and they called four days later,” she said.

Meaghan loves history, and she said the first time she walked into the American Girl Store in New York City, she was in awe.

“When I found out I could be in the show and be an American Girl, I was excited,” said Meaghan, who has been playing with the American Girl dolls with her twin sister Molly since they were eight. She said she loves the history behind the characters and she loves reading about them.

The American Girl series is a set of dolls that come with their own stories. The characters are created to share history with the owner of the doll.

“The play is a contemporary theme of eight girls who are getting together for a slumber party,” said Cheryl Elliot, Meaghan’s mother. “And they have been working on quilt squares.”

Cheryl said the quilt squares turn into the girls creating friendship squares between them and the American Girl characters. Throughout the play the girls also break into stories of the American Girls throughout the play. The play and the dolls show women’s history and women’s contribution to history, and, Cheryl said, moms really love the play and the stories for that reason.

“[The play] teaches kids nicely to work together,” said Meaghan. She explained that throughout the night the characters in the play start to have small fights, but when they remember the stories of the American Girls, they learn to solve the situations.

Meaghan said her character, Kit, has a moment when she fights with her best friend. Kit grew up during the Depression, said Meaghan, and during a trip to movies she becomes embarrassed. She cannot afford popcorn for herself, but her best friend, who’s father was a banker, can.

“In the end they get back together,” said Meaghan. “They are friends again, because they realize money isn’t as important as friendship.”

Meaghan is a 13-year-old who has a resume, and she said her friends and family have been a large help. She and her sister share the same group of friends, and call themselves The Lunch Bunch. The group sits together during lunch, and they laugh about life.

“They are so supportive, and they can laugh about this,” said Meaghan. “They don’t treat me different like a lot of people have.”

Meaghan started acting after her Girl Scout troop leader suggested that she take singing lessons. Meaghan said until that point she never wanted to leave home. She just wanted to be near her mother and go to Molly’s sporting events.

“I never wanted to do anything,” said Meaghan. “My sister is really talented when it comes to sports and I was never really good at it.”

After her Girl Scout leader suggested voice lessons, her mother signed Meaghan up with the Newtown Parks and Recreation for lessons. At the end of the program there was a recital, and “I sang and apparently people thought I was good.”

Since then Meaghan has performed the lead role in Annie put on by Broadway Boot Camp in Fairfield, a primary role in a local production of The Little Princess, she played a role in Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge, and she was in the Westport Country Playhouse 2007 production of A Christmas Carol.

When the performances of Circle of Friends: An American Girls Musical are over, Meaghan said she may take some time to be a normal 13-year-old, but, she said, she tends to get bored easily.