Young actors prepare for the stage
Little Lyric Theatre Camp at Tulane University allows young actors to learn more about performing on stage. In this scene from Guys and Dolls Jr. are, from left, Will Zimmer, Henry Morse, Michael Babineaux and Quinn Farnet. (Photos by Zack Smith)
At 9 sharp on a Tuesday morning, recent Tulane University graduate Ali Bloomston was greeted by 52 children singing their vocal warm-ups at Little Lyric Theatre Camp.
Bloomston was director of the three-week camp for children ages 8-15, which centered around producing a play, from blocking to stage crew to rehearsing as a group, culminating in a final production.
“You can really see their passion for being onstage and how much fun they are having,” she says of the campers, who began each day with a dance and vocal warm-up, then moved on to theater games and rotating rehearsals.
The camp began on June 8 and ended on Saturday (June 27) with performances of Guys and Dolls Jr. in the Dixon Annex Recital Hall on the Tulane uptown campus. Joining Bloomston on the creative team for Guys and Dolls Jr. were James Kelley, music director; Meghan Lydon, choreographer; and Emily Chatelain, stage manager.
From this experience, Bloomston hopes the students gain teamwork skills and recognize the value of being part of an ensemble.
“It is just as important to help shape a show through an ensemble role as it is to play a lead,” she says, noting that this lesson also translates to many real-life situations.
Bloomston, a May 2015 graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater, has been passionate about the stage from childhood. She already has acting and directing credits in her home city of Birmingham, Alabama, and in New Orleans. After several Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre productions, Bloomston became involved with Little Lyric.
Hannah Dean is a rising junior, majoring in Latin American studies and political science at Tulane University.
“You can really see their passion for being onstage and how much fun they are having.”—Ali Bloomston, director, Little Lyric Theatre production
The cast of youngsters finishes a production number during Guys and Dolls Jr. at Little Lyric Theatre Camp. Fifty-two children ages 8 to 15 participated in the camp.
