Welcome to another Meet Our Team Monday, where we get to introduce you to the talented group of artists that created an original production of The Brave Little Tailor just for you.

We hope to see you at one of our public performances of Tailor: May 10 at the Philadelphia Free Library, May 31 at Smith Memorial Playground and June 6 at Morris Arboretum.

This post features Actors Mark Sherlock and Leah Holleran. All interviews were conducted by our Marketing Intern, Rachel Hulsart.

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Mark Sherlock: Actor

Rachel: Our audience primarily consists of children with a wide range of dreams about what they want to be. When you were a child, what did you want to be?

Mark: One of the best things about being a child is that you can have any kind of dream, and you can have as many of them as you want! I had many things I wanted to be when I was a kid. I can remember various times when I wanted to be an astronaut, or I wanted to be a baseball player. I also know there was a long time where I wanted to be an architect. I grew up in a town just outside of Philadelphia, and when I was a kid I loved taking PATCO into Center City to walk around and stare at all the big buildings. They had an effect on me, and I thought it would be great to grow up and be able to create something that could effect people like that. I think that element is one of the things that drew me towards being an actor – the joy of creating!

Rachel: Where did you attend college and were there any professors that influenced you as an artist?

Mark: I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from Temple University in 2010. The professors were excellent, and they all helped me grow as an actor or a person. Some helped by introducing me to acting technique and others helped by pushing me to expand my creativity and imagination. Also, Temple was the first place I ever received exposure to physical theater (like the work we are doing with The Brave Little Tailor).

Rachel: What was your first time performing onstage like?

Mark: Terrifying, and thrilling – it always is! I’ve always tended to be a quiet person, but as a quiet kid, the chance to disappear into a character and work together with others to tell a story was a release unlike anything else I had ever experienced. I still get the same thrill today!

Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from other theatre companies that you have worked for?

Mark: The Brave Little Tailor is my first time working with Enchantment Theatre Company, and I am thrilled to be working for them and to be a part of this production! The entire team is incredibly talented, and I can’t wait to take what we have created out to schools around the area. One of the things that makes Enchantment unique is the workshop period. Over the winter, we met for two weeks and explored the story while starting to give shape to our production. This being my first time with the company, it was a great chance to get to know everyone and begin to understand how the company works. Also, the exploration we did during this time allowed us to find ideas that I think will benefit the overall production.

Rachel: What was the first theatrical production you saw when you were little?

Mark: I grew up within walking distance of the Westmont Theater, an old vaudeville theater in Haddon Township, NJ that was build in the 1920’s. They used to house regular live performances, and in the early 90’s a children’s theater group would regularly stage performances in the venue. My elementary school would sometimes go as a group to see them, and often on a weekends I would go on my own. I remember being enthralled by the stories they were telling on stage, but then terrified as the same characters would greet me (in full costume) in the lobby after the show! Either way, it was one of my earliest exposures to theater, and it made a very strong impression on me.

Unfortunately, the theater hasn’t been in use for years now, and now there is even talk of turning it into a popular brand of gym. However, I’ve always been proud to grow up near such a historic venue, and my memory of those theater performances remains strong to this day.

Rachel: If you could bring any of your favorite fairy tales or childhood stories to life onstage, which would you choose and why?

Mark: I always enjoyed the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, and I think there are lots of theatrical elements to the story that would fare well on stage. There are big characters, drastically different worlds, a high-stakes journey, and a moral to take away at the end.

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Leah Holleran: Actor

Rachel: Our audience primarily consists of children with a wide range of dreams about what they want to be. When you were a child, what did you want to be?

Leah: I’ve loved performing since I was a little kid, and I think being an actor was the main thing I’ve wanted to do as far back as I can remember, though I always loved writing as well.

Rachel: Where did you attend college and were there any professors that influenced you as an artist?

Leah: I went to college at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. I had a lot of great professors there, but my acting teacher Larry Singer and my voice teacher Ed Bara both definitely had a hand in helping me realize that knowing myself and doing things my own way are the most valuable approaches I have to being an artist.

Rachel: What was your first time performing onstage like?

Leah: My first time on stage was a dance recital when I was 4 years old. I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but I’ve seen the video. It involves a lot of me running around the stage with my arms in the air, so clearly I’m having fun.

Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from other theatre companies that you have worked for?

Leah:  Enchantment is the only company I’ve worked with that uses exclusively masks and puppets and where the actors don’t talk, and I love the challenge of acting with just my body. I also don’t know any other company that tells stories for kids with this much respect for the intelligence of their audiences.

Rachel: What were some of your first theatrical experiences as a young audience member like?

Leah: I think it might have been a production of Oklahoma that my mom directed when I was 2. I must have liked it because there’s video of me trying to sing the song “Oklahoma” (and failing at the part where you spell it).

Rachel: If you could bring any of your favorite fairy tales or childhood stories to life onstage, which would you choose and why?

Leah: Definitely the Power Rangers. Because they’re awesome.

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Thanks, Mark and Leah!