Happy #TechTuesday, Encore fans! Today, we check back in with this season’s Arts Apprentice, A.K. Nell. We sat down with her early in the season, so be sure to catch up on her interview before diving into today’s chat about Encore’s work with community groups.

Encore: Welcome back to the Front Row blog! Can you tell us more about your current projects?

A.K. Nell: I got the chance to work with 4th and 5th grade students at Ashlawn Elementary School putting on the musical Princess Whatsername! The story is about a princess who finds herself lost and confused about who she is and where she’s going. On her journey, she meets many familiar characters who help her along her way. The show is really funny and a great production for elementary school students to enjoy!

We had a cast of 32 students and a tech team of 8 that we met with twice a week after school to put the show together. The cast worked on blocking, music, and choreography while the tech students painted and put together the scenery and props. The whole process was 9 weeks long, from the very first rehearsal to the final performance. At the end of our process, we put on a daytime performance for the students at Ashlawn Elementary and an evening show for parents and invited guests.

I’m currently working with the Meridian Homeschool group on a production of Big Bad which follows the story of the Big Bad Wolf as he is tried for all of his fairy tale crimes. The show is designed for the audience to act as the jury in the courtroom and written-in audience participation encourages them to help determine the verdict of the trial. Big Bad is a very witty and smart play that I think is perfect for elementary and middle school students.

We will meet with the students once a week for about 11 weeks to prepare the onstage and offstage elements of the show. With our group of 15, everyone will get the chance to act as a designer on the tech team as well as perform onstage in the show. We will give a final performance at Encore’s main campus at the end of our production process.

Encore: What’s the main focus of the program? Please describe the audition and rehearsal process for us.

AN: I think the simplest answer to this question is that our main focus and priority is to create a fully staged final production. While this is definitely a big part of the process and one that all the students look forward to, the process itself is just as important and valuable as the end result.

The rehearsal process actually begins the very first time we meet with the students. There is no prior audition time required because everyone who signs up for the residency will get to be a part of the production. I like to start by reading the script with everyone who is participating (both cast and crew) so that we all get familiar with what happens in the show. From there, we hold “auditions” for the cast by playing some improv games to see how the students work with one another and what interesting choices they make. It’s a lot easier to cast a show after you can see the interactions of your ensemble and determine who will be a good fit for each role.

Once the show is cast, it’s time to dive in! One of my favorite parts of the whole rehearsal process is the beginning stage as everyone is fitting into their roles, making discoveries about how their character walks, talks, thinks, acts, and feels. I love working with the students on characterization because [having a strong understanding of your character makes building the story a lot easier].

During our rehearsals, we teach the students warm-up games to get their bodies and minds moving so that we can have a focused and productive rehearsal. When we are rehearsing music or movement, we take the time to go over the words and/or steps slowly and repetitively so that everyone can get the hang of it before we move on. It is really important to me that every student feels successful in their art and that we are helping them to achieve that in any way we can. Due to the large number of students, it can be challenging at times to get the entire group focused and working constructively so we hold unit rehearsals. Unit rehearsals are days when only a few characters or ensembles will meet for rehearsal so that we can get concentrated work time on their blocking and staging in the show. We structure the schedule with many unit rehearsals towards the beginning of the process so that once we have meet with groups individually and pieced together the show, we will be ready to meet as the whole group to put it all together.

Encore: What’s the most rewarding part of directing fourth and fifth graders? How about the most challenging?

AN: For me, working with fourth and fifth graders was really exciting because they are young enough to have really interesting and imaginative ideas but old enough to be able to handle working on a full production. They have creative minds that come up with very unique characters and insights into the story. I really love when they come to me and share something so exciting about their characters’ voices or how their group is going to move physically. Their eyes light up as they speak and you can tell they are overjoyed with their discoveries. There is no limit to their imagination and they find the coolest ways to incorporate their inventive ideas into the story that we are telling.

If there is anything challenging about working with this age group, I’d say that sometimes they are a little too social for the rehearsal room – haha! It can be hard at times to get them transitioned into the rehearsal space and a productive, focused rehearsal, but we definitely love seeing our students make new friends and get excited about their work!

Encore: Please describe the residency in five words or short phrases.

AN: Oh boy, haha – only 5 phrases?! I guess I would say that the experience was exhilarating, collaborative, energizing, challenging at times, and very very rewarding.

Encore: In your opinion, why is this artistic residency program an important part of Encore’s mission?

AN: This program really gives students the opportunity to take theatre a step outside the classroom. While we are educating and teaching the students about music, vocalization, stage presence, and character development, we also have the additional goal of working towards a final production. Our camps and classes at Encore have a bigger focus on theatre education and have a “work-in-progress” presentation at the end of the session. In the residency, we bridge the gap between the education world and the production world because students get to experience both with a more solid focus on the end product.

I am having such a great time working on these artistic residencies with Encore because it gives me the opportunity to bring education and production in a way that is new and exciting for me too.

Thank you for sharing all about this wonderful program, A.K.! If you’re interested in bringing an Encore residency to your school, please info@encorestage.org for more information.

Photos by Deborah Candeub. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.