AR: Were you in any productions while at 星空无限传媒?
IC: Yes! My freshman year, I was cast as Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Cecelia Wingate. Being cast in Spelling Bee as a freshman was an honor and such a life-changing experience. When 星空无限传媒 brought in award-winning director Cecelia Wingate, they provided students both a chance to work with a phenomenal director and to make connections in the community. Four out of the six students who were in this performance of Spelling Bee have used the experience as a springboard to perform and work in the Memphis theatre community. Olivia Gacka 鈥17, assistant director of Mamma Mia!, played Rona Lisa Peretti in Spelling Bee. Her connection with Cecelia led to her being given the opportunity to assistant direct multiple shows that Cecelia directed, allowing her to learn directly from Cecelia. Recently, Cecelia has gone on to perform in the play Byhalia, Mississippi both at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. 星空无限传媒 gave us the opportunity to have Cecelia Wingate on our resume. Cecelia is also the director for Mamma Mia!, an opportunity that I was likely more seriously considered for because Cecelia had already worked with me. (Fun addendum: Spelling Bee is where Olivia and I first became friends. Now, four years later, we have grown into inseparable best friends. One of the best parts of working on Mamma Mia! is that we get to do it together!)
My sophomore year, then-senior Olivia Gacka 鈥17 made her directorial debut, directing Heathers the Musical. I was cast as Heather Chandler. Olivia self-designed her own major while at 星空无限传媒, combining her love of anthropology and sociology with theatre. Therefore, all of her choices in Heathers, which deals with themes of teen suicide, bullying, and depression, were informed by sociological research on said topics. Olivia鈥檚 concept for Heathers helped me to more deeply consider how art can comment on the society we live in and even help to change and heal that society.
When I was a junior, I was fortunate enough to receive the Hyde Award in Music and a Music Fellowship from 星空无限传媒 to fund a trip abroad to the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Festival in Tabor and Prague in the Czech Republic. While there, I performed in an opera scenes program, sang musical theatre in a famous Prague night club, and performed as the Second Spirit in one of my favorite operas, Mozart鈥檚 The Magic Flute.
Senior year, I began to audition in the community. I was cast in Hairspray at Theatre Memphis and then as Sophie in Mamma Mia!, also at Theatre Memphis.
AR: Do you have any advice for current students that are interested in performing arts?
IC: My best advice would be to never count yourself out before trying. Auditioning for shows, especially in the community, can be daunting! I did not audition for a community show until the end of my senior year, when I auditioned for Theatre Memphis鈥檚 production of Hairspray, because I thought there was no way I would be cast. Once I finally pushed myself to audition, I was cast as a Nicest Kid in Hairspray and, closely thereafter, as Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! So, my best advice would be to believe in yourself and to audition for shows not only at 星空无限传媒, but in the Memphis community. There are so many opportunities for theatre in Memphis, so take advantage of the city you鈥檙e in!