About

My Story

Linda Harkcom aka Dear Theater Mom

In 2004, my then 7 year old son, stepped onto the stage for the first time in a talent show. Little did I know at that point our lives would change forever, for the better.

Every mother thinks their child is talented and of course his father and I thought he had a nice voice. But we were unprepared for the response we got from family, friends and the judges of the show. One judge, when told our son had never had a voice lesson said “you must get him proper training right away!”

Thus began my search for such training. But a reputable voice teacher typically will not take boy that young. So I was left looking for another way for him to get some kind of arts training, when I came upon a listing for our local community college’s theater camp. I signed him up and he fell in love with musical theater. Our daughter, at age 4,  soon followed when she joined the cast of a community theater production our son had been cast in.

Since then our lives have revolved around theater. Both children have each appeared in over 100 professional, school and community theater productions. Our son now has a BFA in Musical Theater from the prestigious University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Our daughter has had a named role in a feature film as well as leads in a few short films. She has attended  ArtsBridge, one of the top precollege training programs in the country as well as Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp, both competitive summer programs. She is currently a BFA Acting major a Wright State University, a school one of the top programs in the country for training well rounded actors.

Over the past 17 years, I have learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when it comes to raising an actor, choosing training, agents, colleges, etc. as well as working with directors, producers, stage managers and other industry professionals. A bad theater mom can ruin a kid’s career. Believe me I have seen it.

As people learned of my children and their success, people naturally began to call me to seek my council on everything from “my daughter wants to try theater, what should I do,” to “when should we start looking at colleges?”

As more and more people came to me, I realized that there are many more moms and dads out there I could help and Dear Theater Mom was born. I created this website as a vehicle to  provide information and tips to help any parent who has a child interested in any part of the entertainment industry. Through private and group coaching as well as my blog I want to provide parents with information that will be beneficial to the beginner as well as to those who have been doing this for quite a while themselves.

The articles you will find in my blog include my personal insights as well as information from entertainment industry experts.

How can I help you, help your child achieve their dreams?

If there is a topic you would like more information about, please email questions@deartheatermom.com .

As a certified professional Success Coach, I am also offering one on one and group coaching for parents. These services can be beneficial at any point in your child’s budding career but are especially helpful to those preparing for the college process. Last year alone, 4,000 prospective students applied to the top universities in the country and most programs will take on average only 8-20 Freshmen into the program each year. Preparation for this process should begin well before the child’s Junior year. I can help guide you and your child through the process through the end of their Junior year. I work hand in hand with experts, who I respect and trust to then take you and your child the rest of the way through the process. For more information visit our coaching page.

I can also provide support through the prescreening process by helping you to create professional videos that will showcase your child in the best way possible. I can also help you create a video reel for your child.

As someone who has been in the marketing and public relations field for 30+ years, I can help you create professional marketing tools for your young actor including a website as well as social media pages.

I know first hand that the role of a being a parent of a talented child is sometimes not an easy one especially when you are new to the business. You don’t have to do it alone. I’m here to support you in your efforts to help your child achieve their dreams.

All the Best,

Linda

Linda’s Professional Bio

Linda Harkcom, a is a professional writer and Success Coach who is also a public relations and marketing consultant. She has over 30 years of experience working in the public relations and marketing field. She is also a successful grant writer. Her freelance reporting had been seen in nearly every local newspaper in Southwestern Pennsylvania. He work has also appeared in newspapers and magazines in Maryland as well as in multiple blogs.  She is  a Certified Comprehensive Coach as well as a Certified Personal Coach Trainer (PCT), one of only 10 people in the world with this certification. She has coached and trained new coaches for the Coach Institute in New Wales, PA, both nationally and internationally.