At least not as far as Aimée Guillot is concerned. A longtime theater artist and educator, Guillot founded Cafeteria Kids Theater as a program for Napa Valley youth to learn about the performing arts — and to learn from one another.

Guillot sees drama everywhere.

Cafeteria Kids Theater’s name is a reflection of the drama children are introduced to in school. From the playgrounds at recess to the lunch tables in the cafeteria, Guillot was inspired by her students during her time teaching in the Bay Area. During a teaching residency, a student at an elementary school in Mountain View told her he liked drama class better than recess.

“I was very touched by it, what high praise it is; recess is their time, (their) moment they can go let loose,” Guillot explained during a recent telephone interview. “What do you do at recess? All of the elements of drama: screaming, running; (they are) engaged; there’s fights, laughter; there’s snacks — all things you experience when you go to the theater. Communication is happening. There is a gamut of emotions.”

Guillot tucked that memory away, bringing it out later when she decided to start her own theater company. Cafeteria Kids Theater first launched in 2007, but later transitioned into the nonprofit organization it is today. Since 2014, CKT’s nonprofit iteration has worked with students up and down the Napa Valley, from in-school and after-school workshops and summer camps to full-scale stage productions under the spotlights at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center as well as the now-closed Lincoln Theater in Yountville.

For Guillot the work is about more than just acting for her students. The mission of the organization is “to bring the performing arts to children and families in Napa Valley using theater as a vehicle to bridge different ethnicities, backgrounds, and perspectives.

“We strive to educate children to investigate the commonalities that exist in all people as they journey through the creative process which in turn builds inner confidence, imagination, and empathy. Our goal is to give children of all ages the tools they need to discover the artist within them, and live in the world from a place of creativity, compassion and love.”

A lofty goal, but Guillot doesn’t do it alone.

Olivia Cowell crossed paths with Guillot multiple times over the years, navigating similar theatrical circles. Both taught youth theater classes in Napa Valley schools and even worked together as actors. The pair met during a local production of “The Laramie Project” and more recently Guillot played a part in Shakespeare Summer Stroll — a collaboration between Shakespeare Napa Valley and di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Carneros — which Cowell directed.

“Olivia and I hit it off,” Guillot recalled. “We had so many things in common. We loved theater, and we loved kids.”

A friendship developed into a partnership, which has lasted nearly a decade.

“We’ve hit over 10,000 students over the past 10 years with our teaching,” Cowell said during a recent phone interview. Cafeteria Kids Theater serves children ranging from ages 3 to 18, and each age group has its own set of challenges and rewards, the co-directors indicated.

One such reward is being able to have a front-row seat to the progress their students have made. Following a rigorous audition process, one CKT alum was just accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

That was no small feat to Guillot and Cowell, who started working with the student when she was 11. She played Peter in CKT’s 2015 production of “Peter Pan” and continued with the stage company from there, taking on not only other leading roles, but supporting ones as well.

In a supporting role in “Matilda the Musical,” the student was “just as dedicated and just as present and committed as she was (in a leading role),” Guillot recalled. “One of the things that we really focus on, when you are in a show, is it is not about you, it is about the community you create and being a part of something bigger than yourself. It is not about the star.”

Cowell added that students are instead “one piece of the end product working together to elevate everybody.”

Another reward comes during CKT’s co-productions with the students at NVC.

The partnership between the two educational institutions started with “Shrek the Musical” in 2017 and has continued. This past October, CKT partnered with the college on “The Wizard of Oz.”

Cowell said there is something “really special” about having multigenerational actors in a room together, learning from each other. There is a different kind of give-and-take required in a cast like that of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Guillot, again observing the drama around her, said of the adult actors: “It is wonderful to see their surprise when they watch the kids.” Youth actors have a kind of freedom that a lot of older actors have lost, Guillot explained. And regardless of age, the actors support and learn from each other throughout the production.

While some Cafeteria Kids Theater alumni have pursued careers in the industry, that is not the company’s aim.

“Our focus is educating these kiddos, preparing them to be empathetic and incredibly kind people in the world,” Guillot said.

To donate to Cafeteria Kids Theater and learn more about its programs, visit cafeteriakidstheater.org.

The Napa Valley Register is highlighting a variety of local nonprofits serving their community. You can donate to these and other groups featured in Napa Valley CanDo’s annual Give!Guide through Dec. 31.

For more information, visit candogiveguide.org.