Shining on the Stage, Showcasing Her Abilities
How Variety Helped Olive Discover Her Passion and Build Confidence Along the Way
For Olive, the stage is where she feels most at home. Through Variety’s Performing Arts Camp, she has discovered her passion for theatre—and the confidence that comes with it.
“She has no fear at all,” said her mom, Julie. “She loves it.”
Living with cerebral palsy and non-verbal, Olive doesn’t see being on stage as intimidating. For her, it’s exhilarating. Each summer, she eagerly returns to Variety’s Performing Arts Camp, where she delivers her lines with the help of a Switch communication device, bonds with her castmates, and beams with pride as the curtain falls.
“To watch her do her thing—she’s so proud,” Julie said. “It’s really cool to see that sparkle in her eye.”
Olive first discovered the magic of performing in 2022, when she joined the cast of Newsies at the age of eight. From the very beginning, she embraced the challenge, relying on her fellow actors to help her make cues and ensure she was on stage at the right moment.
“That bonding with a stranger, essentially, is pretty cool from a parent’s perspective,” Julie reflected. “To sit back and watch, and know that they’ve got this—it’s amazing.”
Since that first show, Olive has lit up the stage in Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo Jr., and most recently in this summer’s production of Seussical Jr., where she portrayed Vlad Vladikoff and a Jungle Creature. Through Variety’s Performing Arts Program and partnership with COCA (Center of Creative Arts), she’s been part of an environment where kids of all abilities are welcomed, included, and celebrated for what they bring to the stage.
For Julie, that’s the beauty of Variety’s Performing Arts Program—it’s a glimpse of how the world should be: a place where everyone is welcome, where inclusion isn’t the exception but the expectation. It’s also a place where kids with special needs model the world at its best—open, authentic, and full of possibility.
“As a parent, I think it’s great for kids who are neurotypical to come in and see a little bit of our world,” Julie said. “Maybe then, when they’re at school, they’ll be a better friend to a child with disabilities.”
Olive’s confidence didn’t develop overnight. It was fostered through Variety’s programs. She first became a Variety Kid in 2019, when she received a therapeutic bike and an orthopedic vest—essential equipment her family’s insurance wouldn’t cover. From there, Adventure Camp gave her the chance to explore, connect, and try new things. By the time she found Performing Arts Camp, she was ready to shine.
“I mean, just the fact that I can drop her off on day one of a three-week theatre camp at a big, fancy theatre in the heart of St. Louis, and she’s like, ‘Bye, Mom. I’m good.’ It’s amazing,” Julie said. Through Variety, Olive has found not just a stage, but the confidence to take on new roles, make new friends, and embrace her independence.
Behind Olive’s sparkle, though, is a reality that many families like hers face. “Insurance companies only cover so much, and there’s so much need because everything is extra,” Julie explained. “The $10,000 wheelchair lift we have in our $50,000 van, the bath chair we have to use, the accommodations we have to have at home. For families like us, we are dependent on extra. My wheelchair-accessible van is not a want. It is a need.”
That’s why Variety exists—to step in where resources stop. To provide not just the essential tools, but also the opportunities and confidence kids like Olive need to thrive.
When you support Variety, you aren’t just giving—you’re changing lives. You’re helping families cover the extra essentials, empowering kids to explore their passions, and proving that with the right support, anything is possible.
Join us today in shaping brighter tomorrows for kids like Olive—and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine.