A Note from the Academy DIrectors

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SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE BAKER STREET

IRREGULARSThis high paced show runs through Nov. 15! Call (414) 267-2961 or visit www.FirstStage.org.

NEWS FROM THE ACADEMY • Volume 4 Issue 6 • Fall Academy 2014 Updates

...read more inside...

IN FOCUSis the newsletter of the

First Stage Theater Academy,published each session to

highlight the work of our staff and students.

Jennifer AdamsEditor

Patrick G.H. SchleyGraphic Design

Want to get moreinvolved at First Stage?Join the Green Room Society, our Volunteer Group! Contact Heather at (812) 201-4285 or volunteer@firststage.org for info!

It has been really fun seeing you all in the hallways and classrooms this fall! The energy is tremendous and we are so lucky to be a part of it! Whether this is your first Academy class or you are returning for more, we wanted to acknowledge you for several things! Because of your commitment to First Stage Theater Academy, we know that you believe in the power of theater to transform the lives of your children. Parents are always asking what else they can do to support the accepting, ener-getic, and creative atmosphere at First Stage, and guess what? You are ALREADY DOING IT! Making sure your child is happy, healthy, and on time is the greatest gift you can give to First Stage. Your feedback on surveys helps us improve our current programming and by sharing your positive experiences with others, you help boost enrollment in Milwaukee as well as Brookfield and Oconomowoc.

On behalf of the staff, THANK YOU for all you do to make First Stage one of the happiest places on earth!

— Jennifer Adams and Katie Cummings

Top photo byLindsey Abendschein

InFOCUS

School’s out for the day? Have fun at

First Stage!Join us to create a whole play in just one day! Check dates and register today at FirstStage.org/courses.

proud Cornerstonemember of

FIRST STAGETHEATER ACADEMYLife Skills Through Stage Skills

School’s Out andyou have nothing to do?

Spend your day at the Academy and perform a one-act play in just one day! Students will build performance skills and use storytelling activities to create a short play based on an exciting book. Each day is a whole new adventure and no two days are exactly alike.

Upcoming School’s Out dates: November 4; December 8; January 19, January 26

Dahali is an intern in the Academy office who will be with us each Wednesday this year. Karl sat down with Dahali recently to ask her a few questions. Stop by to give her a First Stage welcome!

Q: Do you participate in any extra-curricular activities?A: I attend a class at Alverno College geared towards how Math and Science relate to beauty. I will begin the Steins Scholars program next month.Q: Do you have any favorite books or movies or television shows?A: My favorite movie is DIVERGENT and I like the T.V shows FAKING IT and PRETTY LITTLE LIARSQ: Do you have a favorite musician or kind of music?A: My favorite musician is Romeo Santos and I like listening to bachata, banda, and cumbia.Q: Do you do or watch any performing arts?A: I am not a performer, but I recently saw the plays TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.Q: Who do you look up to in your life?A: I look up to my parents and their story of how they arrived in Milwaukee.Q: If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet and why?A: I would want to meet my Grandpa on my father’s side. He passed away be-fore I was born and feel like we would have a lot to catch up on.Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?A: I’m not very sure of the future but I know I would like to be around children in a business environment.Q: What are you looking forward to in this internship?A: From this internship at First Stage I am hoping to gain the experience of working with others and really getting to get a feel of what the real world out of high school holds for me. I am really looking forward to working with First Stage because I know it will influence me in many positive ways helping me through-out the time I am here.

In Focus

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Volume 4 Issue 6

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Welcome, Dalahi!

Name: Dahali Luna

Age/Grade: I am 16 years old and in 11th grade.

School: I go toCarmen High School of Science & Technology.

Meet the student advisory boardThe Student Advisory Board (SAB) is made up of 5-12 grade students who both volun-teer for and advise First Stage staff on how to make First Stage the greatest place on earth!

SAB members, pictured left to right: (front row) Rachel Young, Haley Shamah, Megan Grizzle; (middle row) Regan Carter, Claire Zempel, Hannah Lipscomb, Will Esty, Cami Westlake, Kenyon Proby; (back row) Joy Volkmann, Meaghan Buckholdt, Collin Woldt, Emily Kellner; (not pictured) Natalie Alteri, Mary Jensik, Claire Majeski, Noah Stone, Josie Trettin, Abby Wesley, Amanda (AJ) Wielichowski

Photo by Jennifer Adams

Reflections from the Touring CompanyThe First Stage Touring Company is a 30 minute show focusing on First Stage’s core values of acceptance, understanding and community. This year’s company is comprised of 18 students in grades 5-10. Songs include “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, a MA-TILDA THE MUSICAL medley, “Ease on Down the Road” from THE WIZ, and many others. This 45 minute show will engage audiences young and old alike and is recommended for anyone ages 5 and up. Book them for YOUR school today—contact Katie Cummings at (414) 267-2979 or kcummings@firststage.org!

Here are some reflections from their rehearsal process!

I love performing because…“I was born to do it!” “It is very fun and helps a lot of people” “I like to make people happy”“It lets me be someone else for a little while” “I love singing and acting in front of an audience”“It's just for me because I'm good at public speaking” “It lets me be myself”

“I can read the script and figure out what emotions I want to show in the line”“It’s one of the only times I feel like people listen to me”

“I like putting a smile on the audience’s faces”“Because I can totally abandon myself and embody a whole new character”

“I feel like performing has saved me from myself” “It gives me a way to show what I can do”“It speaks to people and is an effective way of expression and an outlet”

“I love to sing and dance and find ways to be better” “I get to show who I am”“Because performing is the closest thing I have to magic!”

If you were doing anything other than theater, what would you be doing?singingwritingcookingplaying softball or volleyballsinging all by my myselfdancingworking on a big project for schoolplaying in an orchestraphotography or some other form of visual artI would be singing whenever the opportunity presented itselftennisabsolutely nothing!

When I grow Up I want to be...A teacher

A psychologistA doctor

A house managerAn air force fighter jet pilot

An actorAn interior designer

A musical theater actress A director

An archaeologistI want to be a professional performer!

In Focus

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Volume 4 Issue 6

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Grabbing Shakespeare by the hornsby Jennifer Adams

“I had a moment of realization when a judge said, ‘you guys grabbed Shakespeare by the horns and spanked it.’ That realization was that we were in the wild, wild, west.” Conlan Ledwith’s words could not have been truer on the weekend of October 9-12, 2014. Amidst the

beautiful mountains in Cedar City on the Southern Utah University campus in partnership with the world-renowned Utah Shakespeare Festival, fourteen mem-bers of the Young Company represented First Stage in the USF/SUU High School Shakespeare Competi-tion. “Going to the Utah Shakespeare Festival with our First Stage team was a crazily exciting and impos-sibly brilliant adventure. Being in the mountains with a happy, few, band of brothers was positively thrilling,” describes Mary Elsa Henrichs.

Each year First Stage’s Team Yorick prepares mono-logues and scenes and travels across the country to share their work and passion with hundreds of other passionate lovers of the Bard. It is an experience like no other. Will Esty agrees, “The thing that I noticed that affected me the most is the complete devotion and absolute love for Shakespeare that everyone there had.” Conlan expressed the same feeling of kinship with the other competitors, “It was incred-ibly humbling, moving, and utterly surprising that we made great friends with many of our competitors. They cheered us on, and we them. On many levels, it was far more of a “celebration” than a “competition.” Be-ing included with all of these glorious troupes from throughout the country was the gift.”

Community and support for each other is a hallmark of the First Stage Theater Academy and the Young

Company are some of the most intelligent, kind, and hardworking actors any of us will have the pleasure of working with. The actors on this trip exemplified our commitment to life skills through stage skills through-out the trip. Noa Rubnitz recalls, “My favorite part of the Utah Trip was one specific moment. When we started setting up for our performance we began sit-ting in a circle. Before our HENRY V piece started, we all looked around to make sure that everyone was in the zone and ready to knock the judges socks off. This moment made me feel a sense of community that I had not felt before. First Stage had brought a sense of community and a sense of strength that was impor-tant to succeed through the whole performance. While looking around the circle I could tell that my fellow actors were so ready to show what First Stage was all about.” And it wasn’t just the actors who felt that con-nection, in their feedback session one of the judges commented, “Your sense of community and care for each other was so moving.” It was a true testament to the First Stage philosophy.

Not only did they represent themselves as people incredibly well, but they also gave some pretty amaz-ing performances. Their ensemble scene, a piece created from text from HENRY V, adapted and di-rected by John Maclay and Matt Daniels, received many compliments on its dramaturgical structure and on the passion with which the actors presented it, a judge stared in awe at the group and exclaimed, “You LOVE this story, it was so clear. And you just wanted to, HAD to tell it.” The actors confidently and skillfully drew on their training from Young Company classes. Mary Elsa reflected on how their training worked its way into the performance, “In the Viewpoints style we have been learning from, there are five important im-ages to keep in mind, one of which is an open heart, ready to receive. We brought our open hearts into our group scene, and the judges saw them—they saw

the love we all constantly bring to the stage. They saw how much we loved the story we were telling and how much we wanted and needed to share it with others, causing me to realize that we didn’t just bring our open, ready-to-receive hearts to Utah. We also brought open hearts that are ready to give, ready to share. We give so much to each other, forming a web of support, a golden band drawing us up. That is how First Stage teaches us to succeed as actors and as people: by giving to each other.”

The team went there to do their work and celebrate a love for Shakespeare and doing it well, and their work did not go unnoticed. The team brought home several awards in their division. Caroline Fossum won third place in monologues, Conlan Ledwith and Kate Futoransky won first place for their duo scene, and the entire ensemble won second place for their HENRY V scene. Kate and Conlan’s scene was even chosen to perform in the Competition Showcase in front of hun-dreds of their peers in an outdoor replica of the Globe

Theatre! And if that weren’t amazing enough, due to all of the superior marks from the rest of the group’s monologues, scenes, and ensemble work, the group won the overall sweepstakes first place award! We certainly don’t do it for the trophies, but they regularly win them, and should be proud to be recognized for excellence in performing and professionalism.

“The Utah trip was one of the most beneficial experi-ences of my life. Not for the judges, or the competi-tion, or the experience of being in Utah itself, but for the work we brought, and all the preparation that went in. Working with Matt and John on my monologue, and the group scene, was some of the best work I have been a part of thus far, and it was an honor to be a small piece of the team. Not the mention the bonding experience it offered. Spending time with some of my favorite people, in such a beautiful locale, doing work I am in love with, was an incredible way to spend a weekend, and I will never forget it.” —Max Wilson

Photos by Jennifer Adams

Left to right: Kate Futoransky, Will Esty, Sarah Caveney, Morgan Dobersek, Jenna-Rose Drea, Noa Rubnitz, Elise Coorough, Cassidy Buenz, Caroline Fossum, Alison Pogorelc, Mary Elsa Henrichs, Conlan Ledwith, Max Wilson, Alex Hatcher, Matt Daniels

Watch for your opportunity to join the Academy Writers Group in January! Contact Jennifer Adams at (414) 267-2975 or jadams@firststage.org for more information.

An excerpt by Harry Frey…A cloaked figure entered the room and slipped upstairs. No one noticed him as he swiftly picked the lock and entered a vault. Later, he slipped out of the building. When a guard checked the vault, the Golden Carrot was missing! Then the guard has an idea. “I remember this guy!” he said. “I’ll follow him!” Then he put on his Adventure Pants and zoomed through the window which was ten stories up. He fell and broke both his legs. But his magical Adventure

Pants fixed his legs and he was on his way down the road. He then spotted a cloaked guy and stopped. “If I run at him, he’ll notice and run away,” said the guard, whose name was Bill. He wondered what he should do then he had an idea! “I’ll sneak up on him!” thought Bill. But when he took a step forward he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around. “Surprise,” said the cloaked figure.

An excerpt by Rakya Graham…Opal and Alexis sat under the tree behind her house. Opal could tell something was bother-ing Alexis from how quiet and fidgety she was. But she knew pushing Alexis wasn’t an option because if she wants to tell you something, she’ll tell you. If she doesn’t tell, you then she will simply never tell.

Alexis exhaled. “Okay, I have to tell you something and I need you to be open minded, okay?” she asked look-ing into Opal’s crystal blue eyes. She nodded. Alexis gave her a doubtful look but went on letting out another uneven exhale.

“I….I stole…the box,” Alexis stuttered avoiding Opal’s eyes. “What?” Opal asked in disbelief. She moved back and faced Opal. Alexis glared at Opal, “You heard me the first time,” she answered annoyed.

Opal’s eyes widened, she couldn’t believe this. Alexis wasn’t a thief.

An excerpt by Valerie Bausch…Mr. Grunt enters the room, but something’s missing. He’s not there to scold me about using my box spring as an escape device. Instead, Mr. Grunt had a very rare smile on his face. The only time that big baboon of an oaf had a smile was when kids were being adopted! He grabs my arm with his five sausages he calls fingers and drags me to his office. By the way, while I’m being dragged, I’ll take the time to introduce myself. My name is Valerie. I don’t have a last

name due to my lack of family. I am thirteen and was adopted by the Joneses. But they dropped me off at an orphanage. Of course I hated this place and still hate it to this day. I’ve gotten out of this iron heights replica-tion fifteen times and counting. Mr. Grunt, a varying giant, has one fear: blood. As I am a yard or two from the door I grab a ketchup packet from my pocket and ricochet it off the hanging light, right under Mr. Grant’s shoe. SPLAT!! “Ahh blood, blood! Where did it come from?!” Mr. Grunt screamed in agony. I kept myself from laughing. Mr. Grunt did his usual freak out, slipped on the ketchup and fell, sadly pulling me down too. Though he did let me go. I ran past his office, past my potential parents, past the guard and picked the lock and I was home free. “See ya, you stinking prison!” I screamed as I ran down the street, but I ran into something and blacked out.

In Focus

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Volume 4 Issue 6

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Writer spotlightAttention

High School Students!Looking for a place where you can learn new theater skills?

Get ready for college? Make new friends? Have fun?First Stage Theater Academy is the place to be!

Audition ToolboxSaturdays 12:50-2:20pm$160 per sessionPreparing for college auditions? The audition pro-cess can be a very mysterious one to new actors. In this class, students will build a repertoire of knowledge including how to prepare for musical auditions, resume building, call back strategies, monologue coaching, and an overall understand-ing of the business of being an actor.

Behind the ScenesSaturdays 12:50-1:50pm$160 per sessionThe great stories we discover in the theater involve more people than just actors. Lights, costumes, stage management, props, set design, and administration all help to transport us into new worlds and require skilled artists to take us there. Here we learn about all the elements that go into creating a production.

DirectingSaturdays 2:45-3:45pm$160 per sessionDirectors in theater are responsible for bringing the playwright’s work from the page to the stage. Students will extensively prepare and dissect scripts, block actors and practice important prob-lem solving skills in order to translate text into re-ality. Discover what goes into the work of theater’s ultimate storyteller.

Instructor: Marcella KearnsFirst Stage Young Company Faculty; Literary Manager and Lead Educa-tor at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; currently appearing in SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS; director of Sum-mer Company Class productions of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and MARGARET

Instructor: Patrick SchleyFirst Stage Academy Services Man-ager and Company Manager for the Young Company; Front-of-House staff at Pabst Theater, Skylight Mu-sic Theater, and others; freelance stage manager and technician; BFA Theatre Management, DePaul Uni-versity

Instructor: Katie CummingsFirst Stage Academy Director; di-rector of First Stage productions of THE CAT IN THE HAT, GODSPELL, and INTO THE WOODS, along with productions at Milwaukee Chamber Theater and Bunny Gumbo Theater Company

Register online today at www.FirstStage.org/coursesWinter Session: January 17-March 7 • Spring Session: March 21-May 16 (no class April 4)

For everyone ages 7 and up.

Tickets start at $14.50! www.FirstStage.org

October 17 - November 15, 2014Adapted from the books The Baker Street Irregulars: The Adventure of the Missing Detective, The Baker Street

Irregulars: The Adventure of the Phantom of Drury Lane, The Baker Street Irregulars: The Adventure of the Charge of the Old Brigade, The Baker Street Irregulars: The Adventure of the Family Reunion. Text and illustrations

copyright © 2011 by Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood. Published by Franklin Watts, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books, United Kingdom. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the author.

A world premiere play by Eric CobleBased on the series of graphic novels by Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood

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