dance Archives - Enchantment Theatre Company

Meet Our Team Monday: Erin Carney and Josh Tewell

May 18, 2015 by Zachary

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!

Meet Our Team Monday: Charlie Gilbert and C. David Russell

May 11, 2015 by Zachary

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 remaining public performances of Tailor: May 31 at Smith Memorial Playground and June 6 at Morris Arboretum.

This post features Composer Charlie Gilbert and Set Designer C. David Russell. All interviews were conducted by our Marketing Intern, Rachel Hulsart.

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Charlie Gilbert: Composer

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?

Charlie: I grew up in Chester County, not far from Philadelphia. I was always interested in music, literature and poetry. I didn’t get involved in theatre until high school, though we staged some plays in my backyard when I was little. I’m not sure I ever thought a whole lot about what I wanted to be. My dad was an engineer who started his own business, and I’m pretty sure I always wanted to be my own boss. It’s not surprising that I was drawn into the life of the freelance artist.

Rachel: Where did you attend college and what drew you into pursuing a career as a composer?

Charlie: I was an undergrad at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE, where they let me design my own major of mixing music and theatre together. I grew increasingly interested in musicals and had the opportunity to compose, write, direct, and conduct while I was there. I wrote the songs for several children’s musicals while I was an undergrad and found it very gratifying.

From there, I went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and got an MFA in Directing in the School of Drama. I kept up my music activities in grad school, and wrote a musical for Scotch N Soda, the student drama group. Some of my classmates started a theatre company, and I went to work there after graduating, playing the piano, music directing and composing for shows.

Rachel: What were some memorable theatrical experiences that you remembered having growing up or even recently?

Charlie: I don’t recall much about attending theatre growing up. I didn’t really see a Broadway show til I was an undergraduate student, but once I did, I was hooked. A few random highlights: the premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass when the Kennedy Center opened in 1971; Sondheim’s musical Company in London, with the original Broadway cast, in 1972; The Gospel at Colonus at the Annenberg Center in 1986; the Broadway opening night of Assassins at the Roundabout Theatre Company in 1994; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in London two years ago. I’ve been in the theatre all my adult life and have seen hundreds of shows, and I don’t know that this list will mean much to anybody besides me. One recent experience I’ll mention is the production of Into the Woods that I just saw at Theater Horizon. I know this musical inside-out, but their production was so fresh and original and honest that it was like I was discovering a brand new work.

Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from any other company that you have worked for before?

Charlie: Enchantment is definitely different! We never start with a script or a score, just with a story and a group of performers. Everything gets figured out with the actors on their feet. Later, I sit down and score the action like I was writing music for a film. Then the actors come back and learn to perform the show to the music I’ve written. There’s never a question of whether the work we create will be a “hit” or a “flop,” we know that there are eager audiences waiting for every show we make.

Rachel: What was the first theatrical production that you saw as a child?

Charlie: Wow, I can’t answer this one! Really, I don’t associate childhood and theatre, isn’t that weird? Theatre became a thing for me when I was a teenager, I guess, I loved doing musicals like Guys and Dolls (I played Nathan Detroit) in high school, but I don’t have any memories of attending theater until college.

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

Charlie: I can’t think of an answer for this one. I’m old enough that I don’t have much recollection of stories from my childhood. I know I enjoyed reading stories like Where the Wild Things Are and Home for a Bunny to my sons when they were little, and to my grandson who is almost 4 now.

See Charlie’s blog at chasgilbert.com.

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C. David Russell: Set Designer

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?

David: A Zookeeper and Archeologist.

Rachel: Where did you attend college and what drew you into pursuing a career in set design?

David: Ohio University BFA and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for MFA. Design was an answer to my various passions. It incorporated painting, drawing, music, sculpture, poetry, stories, myths and drama.

Rachel: What were some memorable theatrical experiences that you remember having growing up or even recently?

David: Seeing the Christmas tree grow during The Nutcracker when I was a child, and when I was in London this past summer, I saw an amazing site specific piece called OPUS 7.

Rachel: How is working with Enchantment Theatre Company different from any other company you have worked for before?

David: Most companies do not do as much development through workshops as Enchantment does. Not many companies incorporate puppets, masks, illusions, dance and design in the way that Enchantment does.

Rachel: What was the first theatrical production that you saw as a child?

David: The Nutcracker.

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

David: Some of the Native American myths and legends.

See David’s website at cdavidrusselldesign.com.

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Thanks, Charlie and David!

Meet Our Team Monday: Mark Sherlock and Leah Holleran

May 4, 2015 by Zachary

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!

Seven in One Blow!

April 8, 2015 by Zachary

By Rachel Hulsart, Marketing Intern

We at Enchantment Theatre Company are excited to introduce to you The Brave Little Tailor, our newest Enchantment Everywhere production that is based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale of the same name. When a feisty little tailor kills seven flies with one blow in his workshop, he gains an air of confidence as he proudly displays Seven Dead in One Blow on his sash while walking about town. Many are stunned to see his sash as they assume that he killed seven knights in one blow rather than flies. Because of this misunderstanding, he ends up facing the challenges of defeating two giants, a rhinoceros, and a ferocious dragon from the kingdom where he would be rewarded by having the Princess’ hand in marriage.

In German culture, a tailor used to be seen as the poorest of the poor, and his value would be mocked by saying “Nine tailors make one man.” However, a tailor was also viewed in German culture as someone who would surprise everyone with his wit. The tailor in this story uses his wit to overcome the challenges he faces by thinking on his feet. The Grimm Brothers were interested in making the main character a tailor in order to inspire people to not let their outward appearance prevent them from accessing the power and wit they have inside them. So for the kids reading this out there, know that you are not too small to accomplish anything. Just use your brains, wit, and courage!

At an Enchantment Theatre Company performance, audience members of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to explore creative worlds and embrace the experience of live theater. Enchantment Theatre is dedicated to a unique style of performance by including expressive masks, puppetry, magic, music, movement and pantomime in our productions. In The Brave Little Tailor, we will again use these performance modes to create a world where, for a moment, kids will share a space with a giant, see a battle with a dragon and witness the courage of a simple man. It is our hope to create a magical experience for all ages, one where a child can dream big.

The Brave Little Tailor will be touring the five-county area from April 27th to June 12th. There will also be public performances at three local venues:

Sunday, May 10th / 2:00pm / Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street / FREE for everyone
Sunday, May 31st / 11:00am & 12:00pm / Smith Memorial Playground, 3500 Reservoir Drive / FREE for members
Saturday, June 6th / 2:00pm / Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Avenue / FREE with admission

Are you an educator or presenter that is interested in bringing Enchantment Theatre Company to your school or venue? Contact us at 215-496-9160.

Theatre Beyond Entertainment

Meet Our Team Monday: Erin Carney and Josh Tewell

Meet Our Team Monday: Charlie Gilbert and C. David Russell

Meet Our Team Monday: Mark Sherlock and Leah Holleran

Seven in One Blow!

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