Welcome to another Meet Our Team Monday, where we get to introduce you to the talented group of artists that are currently helping create an original production of The Brave Little Tailor just for you.
We hope to see you at one of our remaining public performances of Tailor: May 31 at Smith Memorial Playground and June 6 at Morris Arboretum.
This post features Actors Erin Carney and Josh Tewell. All interviews are conducted by our Marketing Intern, Rachel Hulsart.
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Erin Carney: Actor
Rachel: Our audience primarily consists of children with a wide range of dreams of what they want to be. When you were a kid, what did you want to be?
Erin: The first job I ever wanted was to be a writer. I would write stories and draw illustrations as soon as I learned how. I continued to write stories growing up, and I think storytelling is how I found theater.
Rachel: Where did you attend college and were there any professors that influenced you as an artist?
Erin: I studied at a lot of different programs throughout college. I graduated from the University of the Arts, but I went to a couple of acting and collaborative studies in the United Kingdom to learn more about creating my own work and performing classical theater. They were taught at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and the London Dramatic Academy. After I graduated I went to the Headlong Performance Institute, which is a dance and theater program, and that led me to auditioning for Enchantment.
Rachel: What was your first time performing onstage like?
Erin: Frustrating. I was a candy cane in a Christmas musical in fifth grade, but I had wanted to be a bigger part. I don’t think the teacher wanted me to sing, though, so I was put in the chorus. After that, I tried to go out for every play I could find, hoping to get a part with a few lines.
Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from other theatre companies that you have worked for?
Erin: Working with Enchantment is always a really fun roller coaster. One of the best parts is that I get paid a salary, which means my life isn’t as stressful trying to balance as many side jobs as I was when I initially graduated college. That gives me a chance to put a lot more energy and focus into the shows we’re creating. They find excited, very talented young people, so it’s been great making new friends and connections through the rehearsals. They also have a very specific style of movement and mask work, which I think has shaped my performance well.
Rachel: What were some of your first theatrical experiences as a young audience member like?
Erin: When I was five or six I remember my mom taking me to a theater in the round, and they did a few Grimm fairy tales, similar to Enchantment, actually. I remember being delighted, but really confused, since I had never seen theater before.
Rachel: If you could bring any of your favorite fairy tales or childhood stories to life onstage, which would you choose and why?
Erin: I think a stage production of an elaborated Hansel and Gretel could be pretty cool. The witch was always pretty freaky, and I think the set design, especially of the house, could be pretty interesting.
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Josh Tewell: Actor
Rachel: Our audience primarily consists of children with a wide range of dreams of what they want to be. When you were a kid, what did you want to be?
Josh: As a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher, a wizard, or an Animorph.
Rachel: Where did you attend college and were there any professors that influenced you as an artist?
Josh: I attended Muhlenberg College; a professor I worked with a ton was Holly Cate, who inspired me to explore physical theatre.
Rachel: What was your first time performing onstage like?
Josh: My first time on stage was in “The Music Man.” I remember it being pretty scary, but I was also incredibly proud to have a few solo lines.
Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from other theatre companies that you have worked for?
Josh: Working with Enchantment is a very multi-faceted job. I’ve performed physical theatre and learned a lot about puppetry and magic; I’ve also built sets and managed the company while traveling the country.
Rachel: What were some of your first theatrical experiences as a young audience member like?
Josh: I honestly didn’t see any live theatre until, probably, high school. But I remember discovering it as though it were something I should’ve been doing all my life.
Rachel: If you could bring any of your favorite fairy tales or childhood stories to life onstage, which would you choose and why?
Josh: When I was a kid, I loved Greek mythology more than any fairy tales—so I’d love to see them enacted onstage. I loved the myth of Icarus, particularly.
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Thanks, Erin and Josh!
