The oldest Gen Xers are turning 60 in 2025 — hard to believe if you happen to be one. In My So-Called Midlife, KJZZ takes a closer look at this generation and what they’re up to — or, rather, up against.
Leigh Ann Dolan joined Valley Youth Theatre more than three decades ago when the company first formed.
"We would rehearse at Chaparral High School, and when we would get locked out, which was every so often, we would get locked out quite a bit," Dolan said. "‘Oh, we forgot to unlock the doors for those kids coming in and rehearsing their kid show.’"
Leave it to a group of latchkey kids to know how to improvise.
"Then we would have to rehearse on the lawn. We would rehearse everywhere we could. Like a lot of things growing up, we really wanted to do it, so we made it happen."Leigh Ann Dolan
Dolan, who was born in 1975, is now the managing director of Valley Youth Theatre. Its longtime Executive Director Bobb Cooper retired this past spring. What she hopes to pass along to future generations is that make-it-work attitude.
"That's the thing about Valley Youth Theatre, right? When the door is locked, you rehearse. You button down, you do the work. … It's about understanding what the problem is and how to get over that challenge."
In some ways, Dolan sees herself as a bridge between the past and the future, which is to honor Valley Youth’s legacy while empowering the next generation of performers.
