Last year, we introduced Prompt Book, a new educational resource for our Teens Behind the Scenes at The National participants. Prompt Book shares insights about professional theatre, introduces leading figures in our field, and primes students for their theatre-going experience, all while inviting participants of all ages to exercise their intellectual and creative muscles.
This year, we wanted to connect more deeply with the high school theatre experience. So for our latest edition, TBTS Dramaturgs Lindsey R. Barr and Leayne C. Dempsey and Director of Education and Community Programs Jared Strange reflected on pivotal experiences from their youth. Read on for a few highlights from their essays.
Jared Strange: Creating on My Own Terms
Years ago, as a student at the American International School in Lusaka, Zambia, I got the chance to write and direct a one-act play called “You’re Watching Love on ESPN,” the story of a bumbling guy trying to get through a first date with a beautiful woman while sports commentators loudly critiqued his performance. I can’t remember exactly why my teachers allowed me to stage that little comedy. Maybe it’s because they appreciated my budding talent and skill at social satire. Then again, maybe it’s because it was such a small school and they had to keep us entertained.
Whatever the case, I always appreciated that opportunity to explore this new passion for writing and directing. Getting to create work on my own terms gave me the confidence to take on any number of jobs as a theatre student, which set me up for stints as a playwright and educator, which set me up for the job I have now at The National Theatre Foundation. Of all my high school theatre experiences, that one was the most impactful and the one I remember best.
Lindsey R. Barr: Finding My Community
Living in a rural area, one of the few ways to pass the time was to get involved in an activity at your school. Growing up, I tried being an athlete, which didn’t pan out so well, and I was involved in the marching band, but I knew that wasn’t my passion. It wasn’t until I took a Theatre 1 class that I discovered something special. I remember working on productions of plays and musicals like Footloose, Fools, Into the Woods, and Little Women—all incredibly different, but all foundational to how I worked my way through high school and into my current career. I don’t know that if you asked me back in 2005, when the movie soundtrack to RENT was on repeat in my car, if I would end up studying theatre in college (and beyond!), but I knew that theatre, and musical theatre specifically, moved me more than anything else ever had.
When I look back on that time, I’m struck by the community that my peers and I built together. I think it’s that sense of community that made me fall in love with theatre time and time again. I have fond memories of late afternoons in the school’s auditorium where a group of my fellow students and I stayed after rehearsal to finish painting the set. I wish I could re-live the moments in between matinee and evening performances when my friends and I sat in the hallway eating burgers and fries from the local A&W to pass the time. What I wouldn’t give to hop in my car after a rehearsal and go down to the local Target, belting out show tunes after we’d all just gone through a 2-hour rehearsal!
What all these memories bring up for me is that power of community. No matter what show we were working on, no matter what role or position we held, there was an overwhelming sense that we were all in this together. Through late nights and frustrating tech processes, we were all working toward the same goal. It allowed us to carve out a little piece of our small town and share something ephemeral. It allowed us to make friends and learn how to work with people with different skillsets and interests. But perhaps most importantly, it showed me that it truly takes a village to put on a show.
Leayne C. Dempsey: The Stage That Raised Me
My high school theatre memories started in fourth grade. My elementary school announced that the local high school was looking for kids to perform in its production of The Sound of Music. I pulled out the audition material (the song “My Favorite Things”) and watched a few takes from the film version starring Julie Andrews. Then I prepared by plunking out the notes using my Casio piano keyboard. Even though I hadn’t taken any acting lessons or singing lessons at all, I felt ready. After the audition (and waiting for what felt like a lifetime), I got the good news: I was cast in the role of Brigitta.
Being in The Sound of Music with a high school cast was one of the best experiences I had in the fourth grade. I remember looking up to the actress who played Maria because, like me, she was a Black girl who was welcomed into this extraordinary story. She taught me, without ever knowing it, that I belonged there, too. During that first show, I learned about blocking, memorizing lines, singing, dancing, quick costume changes (there were nine), and even a little yodeling. Being on the stage was freeing, and it felt like I belonged there. I thought, if I can make it here in fourth grade, then what else could I achieve if I keep going?
Seven years later, I found myself back on that same stage as a high school student. This time I was Bet in the musical Oliver. She was my first lead in a high school production as a high-schooler. Immediately, all of the joy that I experienced in The Sound of Music years earlier came back to me. I can’t say if I would be where I am today without that brave fourth-grader who decided to take a risk. Ultimately, some of the greatest opportunities in life are just on the other side of the choice to believe in yourself.
More from Teens Behind the Scenes at The National
Interested in more insights about how your high school theatre experiences can shape you as an artist? Check out our TBTS Webinars, a series of interviews with emerging and leading theatre professionals led by Lindsey, Leayne, and Jared. Catch a few highlights below!