Life on Stage: Finding One’s Voice

NOVEMBER 2019

A Note from the Artistic and Managing Director 

I’ve been thinking a lot about our younger members of the RVA community and how much they have to teach us about diverse perspectives, overcoming challenges, and developing a sense of belonging. Social media has been a wonderful way for teens to express themselves and connect with others, but it can also create challenges, especially for teens who are still developing their identities and finding their voices.

This fall, Cadence Theatre Company is helping to create conversations around finding one’s voice in two ways. Our first production of the season, Jason Robert Brown’s 13, is all about fitting in and standing out in a new environment. With two all-teen casts and a number of teens in the band, this production showcases some of Richmond’s best youth performers (as well as young actors from Maryland, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg). I’ve learned so much from working with these amazing young people, and I think you’ll come away from this production with a new understanding of what it’s like to be a teen today — and with a renewed appreciation for how much creative talent we have here in Richmond. Our featured article below, by Joan Tupponce, takes you behind the scenes to learn more about two members of the cast.

Tickets are going fast, but there’s still time to catch 13 before we close on November 17. To order tickets, go to https://www.cadencetheatre.org/tickets-and-directions.

We’re also helping students to tell their stories through our STAGE WRITE student leadership and workforce readiness program, part of the inspiring array of educational programs Cadence offers under the direction of Laine Satterfield, Cadence’s Director of Education. Now in its sixth year, STAGE WRITE gives high school students in the Richmond Public Schools the guidance and opportunity to write and perform narratives that are directly relevant to the issues they face in their own lives. With the guidance of STAGE WRITE’s professional teaching artists and RPS teachers, students develop their critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and teamwork skills, building both workforce readiness and lifelong personal strengths.

In October, STAGE WRITE launched in the Creative Writing classrooms at Armstrong, George Wythe, Huguenot, John Marshall, Richmond Community, and Franklin Military schools. Students have been working on writing and filming public service announcements on issues that are important to them. Look for an announcement later this year on when you can join us to see the fruits of all their hard work.

As always, we are so grateful for your support of Cadence and our goal of inspiring and transforming our community through the theatre arts. I’d love to hear from you at info@cadencetheatre.org about how we can continue to serve that role in the Richmond community. And be sure to check out our website at www.cadencetheatre.org for information on the rest of our season and updates on our educational programs.

With gratitude,

Anna

Featured Article

Young Veterans of the Stage Tackle the Only Broadway Musical Ever Made with an All-Kid Cast

BY JOAN TUPPONCE

While he’s three years older than his character, the 16-year-old remembers the angst of being thirteen. “It’s fun to follow Evan’s journey through his Bar Mitzvah,” McKinney says.

The show’s director, Anna Senechal Johnson, Cadence’s artistic and managing director, has a 14-year-old teenager at home. “I’ve been living it, everything the kids are dealing with onstage,” she says. “Every adult has been thirteen. We dealt with the same emotions the kids are dealing with in this production, so there is an element of nostalgia.”

Unlike other musicals, 13 has two full casts of twenty actors each who will perform on alternating nights. “We have a pre-professional training program called Train with Virginia Rep for camera acting and musical theater. We have so many talented people that study with us that we thought wouldn’t it be amazing to do a show with these kids,” Johnson says.

McKinney shares the role of Goldman with Evan Dymon (the box office has information on the nights each actor will be on stage). McKinney started performing at Virginia Rep when he was ten and played Winthrop in The Music Man. “I’ve done about nine more shows since. I enjoy the feedback from the audience. I get joy in hearing their response to my acting,” says McKinney. “I was nervous my first time on stage but I learned to love it.”

Fourteen-year-old Violet Craghead-Way shares the role of Patrice with Bridget Sindelar. McKinney and Craghead-Way last worked together in Cadence’s production of Fun Home.

Craghead-Way finds that playing other characters has helped her find herself. With 13, she sees a lot of herself in Patrice. “I relate to her because she is an outcast and I felt like an outcast in middle school,” she says. “It was hard to find friends I could relate to. I value friendship and she does, too.”

The 14-year-old, who attends Charlottesville High School, has to travel an hour to rehearsals. “They are only on the weekend,” she says. “We carpool with one of my friends. I feel like it’s really worth it. It’s such a great experience. It’s such a great role.”

13 is a feat musically for all the young actors. “The music is hard,” McKinney says, referring to the rock music score. “It’s a challenge to sing and belt out the entire show.”

The show is notable for being the first (and, so far, only) full teenage cast to perform on Broadway. And, Johnson is thrilled to work with all of the talented young actors in the production.

“It is a dream come true to have all of them under one roof,” she says. “I can’t wait for audiences to receive this important and moving coming-of-age story.”

The show is designed for and is perfect for 12-through-15-year-olds (perhaps a year younger depending on your child’s maturity) who need to be thinking about exactly the issues the show examines. 13 opens October 26 and runs through November 17 at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym.

This article was originally published under Just Joan: RVA Storyteller at RFMonline.com. Reprinted with permission (and gratitude!).