Daphne Stift has been attending Stagelight Performing Arts since the studio opened, and since then, Daphne has continued to grow into quite the performer! Currently, she is in two productions: The Giver and Center of the Universe, both with Phantom Productions. We caught up with her recently to ask about her role as Sparky in Center of the Universe, which tours junior highs and high schools in Southern California.

SPA: What is your favorite part about playing Sparky?

DS: My favorite part about playing Sparky is that she is not one of the biggest characters, but she plays a really important role. She is Maria’s best friend, and when something happens to Maria at the end of the story, Sparky’s role in the story shows how much Maria was loved.

SPA: What has been the most challenging part about this whole experience?

DS: The most challenging part about this experience is that we are the a cast, but we are also the crew. We set up, we take down, and when something goes wrong, it’s all on us. We’re not just performing; we’re doing tech.

SPA: You’ve done many musicals, what do you like about doing a play?

DS: In musicals I feel like you’re spending so much time learning the dances and the songs, but in plays, I can sit down and spend more time on a script analysis to really understand my character and the play.

Stagelight student Cole Thompson, 11 years old, was one of the performers in last Christmas’ The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at The Music Center in Los Angeles. This was the 7th year the show ran, and it was produced and directed by Debbie Allen herself. Stagelight Performing Arts caught up with Cole last week to discuss his role in the show:

SPA: What is your favorite part about this role?

CT: It was something so different! I’ve never done anything like it before. It was so great to try something new.

SPA: What was the most difficult thing about this role?

CT: The hardest thing was probably trying to get used to something brand new and starting fresh while not knowing any of the people there. I had to make friends and work with choreographers I didn’t know. Getting used to the new vibe of everything was hard.

SPA: What roles did you play in the show?

CT: I was in the HipHop Candy Cane number, one of the people in the opening party scene, and a toy soldier in Toyland–which was a tap number. I was also in the Flamenco piece!

SPA: What is one special memory you’ll treasure from doing this show?

CT: Probably that I was dancing with Debbie Allen, which is not something many people can say they’ve done! That was an amazing experience to dance with someone who is so highly ranked in what they do.

Today is a day we celebrate one man’s dream. The work isn’t finished yet, but we are proud to be a part of the work by promoting inclusiveness, love, and understanding.

This piece, filmed by Glass Eye Productions, was inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The tap rhythms and grooves, choreographed by Alyssa Gramer,  are set against selections of King’s speech laid over a piece of music by DeVotchka.