Ms. Danielle was in the first LA run of “Ragtime” when she was 10 years old. I knew that when Ms. Danielle started working with us, but today she found her picture in my Ragtime program at the studio AND her little autograph!! She signed it, “Best Wishes, Love Danielle ‘Little Girl,'” which was her character name. When she showed me this week, I felt like a “little girl” at the back stage door again! ~Ms. Alyssa
First the Work. Then the nerves. Finally, the triumph.
Level II actors at Stagelight Performing Arts chose their monologues two months ago. In each class since then, Ms. Danielle took the actors through a series of exercises to build necessary techniques to perform their monologues authentically and confidently. Students were required to spend much time memorizing and rehearsing their lines outside of class.
Just as in all rehearsal processes, there were ups and downs. Performing is hard stuff! But the performance night eventually approached, and by that time, the actors were ready. As lights were being set up and parents took their seats, you could feel the excitement and nervousness of the performers. The camera rolled…
And these performers wowed us. The performances were sincere. The work was evident. The triumph these actors felt was palpable. We witnessed strong choices being made, right there during live performance. We watched students stumble on lines and finish with great determination. We watched the actors encourage and cheer each other on. We watched these groups of actors grow through this process together and as a community.
Well done, actors. We couldn’t be more proud.
Below are four of the monologues presented last week. Click a name to watch:
Featured Student in the Stagelight: Savannah
Savannah Clayton, 14 years old, has been a student at Stagelight Performing Arts since our first season. She has performed in many Stagelight Productions’ shows, but she recently played the coveted role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. We wanted to know all about her experience “over the rainbow,” so we caught up with her to ask our questions!
SPA: What was your favorite thing about playing Dorothy?
SC: I liked that little kids looked up to me, like I look up to the kids older than me. I also liked that I got to be on stage most of the time and share the talent God gave me.
SPA: What did you do to prepare for this role?
SC: I wrote out my songs and wrote what they meant to me to help me with my emotions. I watched the movie and previous Stagelight versions of the show.
SPA: What was the most challenging part about playing Dorothy?
SC: The most challenging part was probably trying to balance my school work and memorize all my lines.
SPA: In what ways are you similar to Dorothy?
SC: I am similar to Dorothy because she is brave and adventurous.
SPA: In what ways did your classes at Stagelight help you with this role?
SC: Ms. Danielle and Ms. Lindsey helped me grow in acting and have really helped me over all. Ms. Rene helped me prepare all my songs and know them well.
Well done, Savannah!