For Courtney Koehle, theater has always been more than just performing under the spotlight. It has been about finding a voice, building confidence and creating a community where young performers feel supported.
Koehle, 37, of Lido Beach, is the founder and director of To The Stage, an Oceanside-based theater school that has spent the past 14 years helping children discover their love for singing, dancing and acting in a welcoming environment.
Her first experience with theater came when she was 11 years old, playing Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” at Oceanside School 9E. From that moment, Koehle knew performing was something she wanted to pursue.
“I just really, really loved it,” Koehle said. “That was all I wanted to do.”
As a young performer, however, Koehle found that opportunities close to home were limited. She and her family often traveled into New York City on weekends for training programs, which she said could be highly competitive and sometimes affected her confidence.
When she later created To The Stage, she wanted to build something different — a place where children could grow not only as performers, but as individuals.
“I wanted something that was not a competitive atmosphere,” Koehle said. “It was more about building confidence and developing the whole child, not just as a performer, but as a person.”
Koehle continued her own theater education, earning a degree in Theatre Arts and Expressive Arts Education from SUNY New Paltz. She also trained through programs including Carnegie Mellon University’s drama program, USDAN and the Broadway Teacher’s Workshop.
After graduating in 2011, Koehle continued auditioning and performing, including an appearance on the television series “Gossip Girl” and playing Mimi in “Rent” at the Brian Beck Center for the Performing Arts. At the same time, she worked with children through camps and drama programs, realizing she could combine her two passions.
“I really liked working with children, and I did well with that,” she said. “I wanted to figure out how I could combine my two passions of working with children and performing.”
Koehle first launched To The Stage through St. Anthony’s Parish in Oceanside, where she began teaching a small number of theater classes. She was later asked to direct a production of “Grease,” which helped spread the word about the program throughout the community.
“There really was nothing locally that fostered singing, acting and dancing,” Koehle said. “We definitely needed it around here.”
Today, To The Stage offers classes for children ages 3 through 14, featuring theater productions, including many Disney shows. Students ages 14 and older can become “Directors-in-Training,” mentoring younger performers and taking on leadership roles.
Koehle said the program’s older students often return because of the strong bonds they formed over the years.
“It becomes like a family, almost like a sports team,” she said. “These students build lifelong friendships starting when they’re 3, 4 or 5 years old.”
One of the most rewarding parts of her work, Koehle said, is watching shy children step onto the stage and discover their confidence.
“Seeing the shy students come in and their parents say they can’t even say a couple of words in front of anybody, and then they get on stage and perform in front of a full audience — that confidence they get is probably my favorite thing,” she said.
Koehle’s passion for community theater began long before To The Stage. At age 16, she earned her Girl Scout Gold Award through her Oceanside troop by organizing a community theater musical production featuring local students ages 3 to 12 and raising money for charity.
Looking ahead, Koehle hopes to one day open a theater of her own where all productions can take place under one roof. Currently, larger performances are held at venues such as the Bellmore Playhouse.
After 14 years, Koehle said the greatest reward is seeing her students grow into confident adults.
“I hope I have students now as adults that say, ‘You are the one person who believed in me as a child,’” she said. “I hope I can always be that person for them.”
