WIMBERLEY, Texas – The theater is a way of life for Ann Rolling.
The stage allows Rolling to share her late daughter's legacy.
Rolling's daughter, Emily Ann, an aspiring actress, was killed in a 1996 car crash at the age of 16.
"She had a love of Shakespeare, a love of acting. But she truly was an amazing young lady," Rolling said.
Two years after the crash, Rolling decided to keep her daughter's dream alive and to provide thespian opportunities for young people by founding the Emily Ann Theater outside Wimberley.
"It is a healing component. But life, even for ourselves as parents, is to be lived daily and to be shared daily," Rolling said.
The theater hosts young students through camps and productions.
This summer, 40 junior high and high school students are preparing to present "Macbeth," but set in the 70s.
Rolling still gets emotional when the youngsters show up to learn and live out their thespian dreams.
"I still tear up when I see a gathering of 40 young students ... what they hoped, what their summer looked like," Rolling said.
The students spend time at camp learning various types of lessons. In addition to rehearsing and performing on stage, the young thespians, armed with electric saws, hammers and nails, build the stage sets. They also design and make their own costumes.
"I really like theater, and I wanted to spend my summer doing something with theater," said Lila Robbins, a theater camp student.
Robbins said she also likes the hands-on approach at the camp.
"You get to make your own decisions, basically. I like what you want things to look like. What you want to be like. It's cool," Robbins said.
Even though the students didn't know Emily personally, they know her spirit, and they want to keep that spirit alive with every performance.
"It's good to honor people who we loved. And by honoring her, we can honor the Rollings and all they do for us and in the community," said Denton Collie, a former theater camp student who is now a camp teacher.
"Our mission is to reinvest in the dignity of the human spirit, and it happens here daily in a variety of ways," Rolling said.
--------------------------------------------------------
Don't miss a thing. Get email alerts from KSAT12 today.
Get alerted to news events as they happen or sign up for a scheduled news headline email that is delivered right to your inbox. Breaking news, severe weather, daily forecasts, entertainment news, all of the day’s important events to keep you up to date wherever you are.
Sign up today. It's Free.