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MEET THE AUTHORS
NAME — Leeann Sausser
AGE — 14
GRADE — 9
NAME — Milan Patel
AGE — 19
NAME — Leeann Sausser
AGE — 14
GRADE — 9
NAME — Milan Patel
AGE — 19
YOUNG ACTORS THRILL TO STAGE LIFE
March 9, 2008
By Leeann Sausser, 13, Milan Patel, 18
Allison "Allie" Eberle, an eighth-grade student at Guion Creek Middle School in Pike Township, works hard to maintain straight A's. She also plays viola and violin in the orchestra, and she's a soccer and basketball player.
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On top of all that, Allie, 14, joined 60 other Indianapolis-area kids with a passion for rehearsing, memorizing, acting and singing in a production of the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
It was a substantial time commitment, too. Before, she devoted just three hours per week to theater. But during the production, that expanded to lengthy daily rehearsals, akin to a full-time job.
Thirty kids, including Allie, are members of Act One, a performing troupe that is part of Indianapolis Civic Theatre. This involvement led some of them to parts in "Joseph."
"We use Act One not only as a tool to teach these kids -- it is more about performance and technique in their performance of musical theater," said Brent Marty, the director of Act One since 2006.
Marty wanted to create a class-like setting where youth could act and learn at the same time.
Y-Press recently interviewed five members of Act One. Each described how he or she first became interested in acting.
"I came and saw 'The Wizard of Oz' at the Civic, and I completely fell in love," said Isabella "Izzy" Litwack, 13. "I thought it was so amazing how all these people work so hard to put on such a great show."
After watching movies on TV, Anthony Boler, 10, became intrigued by acting and began mimicking the characters.
"My mom kept buying me costumes and clothes for each character. I was like 'Wow, I want to be in (the movies) so bad.' "
Another young teenage performer got her first taste of acting by delivering the line, "Trick or treat?"
"What first got me into acting was Halloween, because I got to dress up like somebody else and run around being a goofball," Hannah Boswell said.
Her interest in acting continued while watching and singing along with Disney movies.
"I then auditioned for a show; I was, like, 'Well, I could do the Halloween thing and the singing thing,' " said the 13-year-old.
Marty can relate. His childhood influences helped him to appreciate theater arts.
"I had a grandmother who was very proactive in that sense. She would take me to the symphony, and she would take me to see theater. Seeing that made me want to do it."
He believes youth actors deserve respect.
"I don't treat the children actors much differently," he said. "They deserve to get the full experience of what it's like to do this."
This means encouraging the youth to work just as hard as the adults, including memorizing all the lines, steps and songs.
The lessons are put to good use during the casting process, which can be nerve-racking, regardless of age.
"I forgot almost all of the words right when it was time for the audition, but when I handed the words to the pianist and started singing, I couldn't believe it. I memorized every word and got the part," Anthony said.
After the youth get past auditions, rehearsals pose the next challenge.
"When I first saw the script, it was really thick," said Anthony. "Then I saw all the songs in there, and I was like, 'I cannot memorize this much.' "He later proved himself wrong.
Rachael Eberle, 11, points out that a good actor is always working to improve his or her craft, on and off the stage.
"You need to have a rehearsal at home and you have to have a little time and an area where you can just try to act out the show and your place to sing," she said.
Hannah enjoys rehearsals. "It's amazing how much fun it actually is. You're singing all the time, and you don't have to go over the lines because songs have a rhythm and a tune. They just kind of run through your head easily."
Several of the youths plan to continue acting.
"I hope to audition for the Junior Civic's production of 'Alice in Wonderland,' " Allie said. Rachael and Hannah intend to audition, too.
Hannah, who is also involved in productions outside Civic, is in "Jane Eyre" at Footlite Musicals throughout March. Rachael will be singing in Pike Township schools' production "An Evening with the Arts in Pike" on April 21. Izzy is taking a break from center stage, and is assistant director of her school's seventh-grade production of "Aida."
All the youth believe that the work they put in pays off when they perform and see how excited the fans are.
"When you're onstage, you get that amazing thrill and you're just sort of, like, I can't believe that I'm going to be in front of this huge audience," Izzy said.
Added Allie, "It does take a lot of hard work to pull off a show, but it's all worth it when you hear all the applause and you see all the smiling faces."
Beyond all the excitement, acting also changes who you are as a person, all five young people agreed.
"Acting makes you a more interesting person because it helps you be more confident," Hannah said. "You feel better about yourself."
Her confidence on stage has motivated her to work hard in other areas of her life like school. She suggested this motto for everyone: "Shoot for the stars and always stick with it."
REPORTERS: Ram Dent, 11; Caroline Ralston, 12.
Copyright 2008 Y-Press
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Wow. The writers seem inspired to report on the amazing accomplishments of youth all around Indiana. Great reporting and great writing.
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