Category: KATA! Summer 2018

Training and preparation week for the KidsAct!/TeensAct! team is in full swing, and we could not be more excited to get the summer started! While we eagerly anticipate the beginning of our first session next week, I wanted to share the mission statement the staff developed, as shown in the photo above:

“We believe in the power of theatre to inspire and nurture young minds. We create a fun, collaborative environment where we hope to foster confidence, creativity, and ownership through devising original material.”

Looking forward to meeting our first group of young artists on Monday!

What sparked your interest in theatre?

I think I’ve had an interest for as long as I can remember! But I didn’t actually do theatre until high school, where I auditioned for my high school’s production of Into The Woods on a whim and was casted. I was fifteen years old, beginning to learn all of these complicated lessons about life and growing up, and I remember feeling like the Into The Woods lyrics and music were speaking to my soul. Sometimes it’s hard to feel understood as a kid or teenager (and of course, as an adult!) and Into the Woods made me feel so utterly understood. I think that is what keeps me coming back to theatre— the “art imitates life” aspect.

What do you love about working with kids?

I learn so much from children, and I always say they are revolutionary in a way many adults have forgotten to be. They have this instinctive, almost innate sense of justice— they know right from wrong and are quick to speak up when something is unfair. They are so open to the possibility of positive change, and they see this possibility in places where I wouldn’t even think to look. One of my favorite quotes, from The Little Prince, is “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.”  That sums it up!

What is one show you have either performed in or worked on that stands out to you?

This past winter, I performed in a devised, immersive rendition of August Strindberg’s Dream Play. We explored the meaning of life and the human experience through a series of dreamy vignettes. Since the performance was immersive, we had the opportunity to really connect with audience members and share moments with them. It was a really wonderful example of how theatre can bring people together within a space, and it was so rewarding to work in such a nontraditional, immersive setting.

What is your favorite book?

Sounds stereotypical, but Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Every single thing that could possibly happen in life, happens in War and Peace. It makes me feel connected to every person who has ever lived or will ever be alive. It’s so life-affirming. It’s guiding me through my twenties!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I couldn’t think of an answer to this question, so I closed my eyes and clicked on a random place on Google Maps, and I landed on a town called Chicken in Alaska. So I guess that’s my final answer! (Fun Fact: Only seven people live there.)

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Anything with peanut butter in it!

What sparked your interest in theatre?

The ability to affect people in a profound way; to provoke and promote new ways of thinking, strong emotion, and sensitivity. To tell stories, to see the world through the eyes of another person… so many things.

What do you love about working with kids?

I love the enthusiasm, the uninhibited passion, the abounding energy of young people. I love to inspire them to create and express, and I love that moment when they make a personal connection to a character or a song. The epiphanies that can occur in them on a very deep level that they may not even recognize for years to come. It’s exciting!

What is one show you have either performed in or worked on that stands out to you?

Performance, I would say the Boston premiere of Assassins. But “The Fantastiks” is probably my favorite show that I have music directed. I find the messages in El Gallo’s character to be timeless and sensitive, and the archetypical innocence of the lovers is another universal truth. I think it can be a very powerful piece of theatre if done well.

What is your favorite book?

Daughter of the Forest…. Juliet Marillier

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Back to Ireland! Such a soulful place, would live there if I could.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Coffee oreo cookie! Yum.

What sparked your interest in theatre?

You know! I honestly don’t remember. All I know is that I picked flowers in the baseball field, loved dressing up as Catwoman, and was unlike the other boys growing up in (small town) Camden, South Carolina. What I do remember is the inspiring theatre teachers and the community theatre (Fine Arts Center of Camden) who really helped nurture and guide me. They taught me, celebrated me, and ALLOWED me to do anything. I wrote. I directed. I acted. I owe everything to those teachers.

What do you love about working with kids?

Kids live in the moment. Adults live in their heads. Ok, so not not ALLLLL adults of course, I can’t speak for everyone, but I can have a tendency to take residence and pay rent in the anxiety of the future or shame of the past. I want to be more like a kid. There is this kind of fearlessness, teachable quality that young people have that inspires me. I admire anyone who says, “This is me!!” without worrying about what other people think of you.

What is one show you have either performed in or worked on that stands out to you?

One would be working on and developing the musical adaptation of “To Wong Foo.” I was brought on as the assistant director and drag consultant, and watching the writer (Douglas Carter Beane) and composer (Lewis Flynn) create the material in front of my eyes is something that I will never forgot. I also rediscovered the power of drag working with the cast. Drag is a vehicle for self celebration.  People go to drag shows to celebrate and to laugh. Because laughter is celebration. It’s the ultimate release. And drag presents us with the idea and the OPPORTUNITY to not take life so seriously. I will also never forgot the time I opened my show “Rapunzel” Off Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse, where so many playwrights and shows I admired started as well.

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is probably…oh gosh. I’m very much an O! Magazine kind of guy. Take that as a warning. No, don’t! I’m not ashamed! I love books like “Eat, Pray, Love” (and I think that’s my favorite book?) and other self discovery books. Books about healing. I love autobiographies. There is something about relating to another person’s experience that can teach you so much. So I love books by Elizabeth Gilbert. Her book “Big Magic” is also amazing. I also just read a book called “Love Warrior” by Glennon Doyle Melton that I loved. I also enjoy reading Carrie Fisher. (I’ve said “also” now 3 times.)

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Bali. (Eat, Pray, Love style) Or Rome. (also Eat, Pray, Love style)(“also now 4 times.)

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

The impossible question. I go in flavor waves where I’ll obsess and indulge over one flavor. I just got off the “cherry” coaster where I loved all things cherries. Now I’m just surfing around.

Hi, my name is Katy, and I’m one of the education interns working with KidsAct! and TeensAct! this summer! I am so excited to be here at Barrington Stage, and I cannot wait to meet all of the amazing young people who will be joining us for the four sessions. I’ll also be posting updates on the blog each day once camp starts to give a glimpse at their creative imaginations at work. Until then, I’ll be introducing our team for the summer, starting with myself!

What sparked your interest in theatre?

One of the first shows my parents brought me to when I was young was The Lion King, and I have a very distinct memory of the moment in “He Lives in You” when all the pieces of the night sky come together to form Mufasa’s face. I was awestruck. Ever since then, I have been captivated with the magic of theatre and by its power to tell stories in beautiful, moving ways.

What do you love about working with kids?

I love their insatiable curiosity, their huge hearts, their intense desire to learn, and their incredible openness to new ideas and willingness to take risks without any shame. They aren’t afraid to ask tough questions and so many times the questions they ask cause me to pause and think about the world in an entirely different way. It’s an incredibly humbling experience — kids are honest to a fault and won’t let it slide if you mess up and they won’t allow themselves to be walked over. But it is also beautifully rewarding, because if you find out how to win their trust by showing them genuine respect and care, they will show you the sweetest, most genuine love that has this inexplicable power to tug at your heart. Teaching kids is a weighty responsibility because they are like little sponges and pick up on everything you do, but it is also extremely exciting. I love watching kids grow and being a part of that process, and there is something so special about seeing a spark light up in a child who has been struggling to grasp a concept or witnessing them finally achieve something they have been working at with such fervor.

What is one show you have either performed in or worked on that stands out to you?

I assistant directed and choreographed a production of The Lion King Jr., and I loved exploring the different styles of movement we could use to evoke various animals with the young performers. I particularly enjoyed working with the lioness group on how to portray the vast spectrum of emotions through movement, from the ferocity of “Lioness Hunt” to the intense sorrow of “The Mourning” to the firm resolve of “Shadowland.” It was a challenge for them, but they really dug into it in way that was inspiring to watch.

What is your favorite book?

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I finally finished reading it last summer, and it is just a masterful work of literature. The incredible depth of each character and the intricate ways their lives are woven together over years and years is absolutely astounding. It is such an emotional journey.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Israel – I have never been to that part of the world, and there is so much history there I would love to explore.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia!