BWW Interviews: Inspiration Stage Students Set To Shine at 2015 Junior Theater Festival

As you may know, I recently saw and reviewed Inspiration Stage's SEUSSICAL JR. Well, clear out some space in your heart. I have some more pride to put in it. (If necessary, try lowering your cholesterol and stuffing the pride into your arteries.)

Inspiration Stage is going to the Junior Theater Festival. They are presenting a 15-minute version of their stellar student production of SEUSSICAL JR. With its arresting color scheme, catchy tunes, and starbright performers, it is a veritable smorgasbord of Seuss-ness. Awards and accolades are sure to follow.

In this interview, I talk to Jeff Sensat, co-musical director of SEUSSICAL JR., and SEUSSICAL JR. cast member Maddie Lucas who plays the lovable, relatable Gertude McFuzz.

BWW: Tell me about Inspiration Stage's educational program. How did your program come about?

Jeff Sensat: Inspiration Stage came after a hiatus we took from running a studio ourselves. We took a break then came back in and found that Sugar Land was a ripe area. There was a need and desire from the people here for that kind of social outlet, and it's been going great so far. All the things that we had [in our previous theaters], we offer here at Inspiration Stage.

Prior to Inspiration Stage, Mandy [Seymore-Sensat] and I actually used to have a theater in the Deer Park/Pasadena area called the Center Stage Performing Arts Studio and Theatre in Deer Park and a company called the Slightly Off Center Players. I was much more involved at that point. I've been more in the background on this particular artistic venture. Inspiration Stage really and truly has been predominantly driven and cultivated by Mandy.

For 10 years, we had Center Stage Performing Arts Studio and Theatre. We grew it. We had a great experience with it. When Center Stage Performing Arts Studio was open, we actually had about 65 classes a week [including] every type of dance you could imagine as well as musical theatre, acting classes, and private vocals. We had an entire arts studio under one building. We actually had the privilege of participating in the 2005 American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) national theatre festival. We were named in the top 10 community theaters in the nation.

I don't say that to brag. I say that to illustrate that we really care about doing good theater, and we've tried in the past to do a really good job of developing our talent, investing in not only the people on stage but the people offstage. I would like to think that Inspiration Stage is a continuation of that idea.

BWW: What does Inspiration Stage training involve?

Jeff Sensat: What we did before at Center Stage was much more class theory and academic based. That's not to say that we didn't have performance opportunities. We had lots of them. But the dynamic here in Sugar Land is that the majority of the program is based on performance. The difference is, for instance, at the old place, you could take an acting class, but you didn't necessarily assume that there was going to be a performance or a show or a showcase at the end of that. There was the assumption that you were going to get awesome opportunities for exercises, training, and scene work. That kind of thing. That doesn't seem to be the structure here. I think probably because it's a different area with different expectations from the students and the people who live in this area. For whatever reason, it seems to be strongly structured toward a performance-based model.

When you sign up for a class at Inspiration Stage, there is training. But most of it is in the context of or under the umbrella of shows that you're heading toward. For instance, a child takes a class or auditions for and gets into a performance troupe. So paying the tuition, they're in a show and they're heading towards a show date. Then Mandy also adds in a class. So, if I get in the show, I also have opened up for me a Monday acting class for an hour. She doesn't make that mandatory, but I think she's trying to cultivate the idea that yes being in a show and learning while you're in a show is a valuable experience. But what's more valuable, in addition to that, is training within the context of a classroom environment. You can actually focus on skills and techniques that you really don't have as much opportunity and time to cultivate and delve into within the strict confines of a rehearsal process.

BWW: When I saw SEUSSICAL JR., I was really impressed by the skill level of your student performers. I thought their performances were very mature. How did you achieve that?

Jeff Sensat: Mandy and I have one philosophy in common: your age does not define what you're capable of. Your age does not necessarily define your maturity. And your age doesn't necessarily define what you are capable of handling and producing. Kids are sharper, smarter, more emotionally evolved, and more capable than most people give them credit for.

Mandy and I do not talk to children like "children." We talk to people like people. All people. You can condescend or patronize children, but that's certainly not what I would want at that age. Or what I would respond to at that age. We treat everyone equally with the same respect, honor, dignity and expectations as anyone else. And we have found in our experience that all of our children who have ever been exposed to that kind of approach have flowered, grown immensely. That's the kind of environment in classes and shows at Inspiration Stage. I think maybe that's what you're seeing.

BWW: Let's hear from you, Maddie. How long have you been training with Mandy and Inspiration Stage?

Maddie Lucas: With Mandy, it has almost been three years. I have been with Inspiration Stage ever since it's been open. I teched for the first show, JUNGLE BOOK.

BWW: What keeps you coming back to work with Mandy and Inspiration Stage?

Maddie Lucas: I love working with Ms. Mandy at Inspiration Stage because I learn a lot every time I come back. Every time I'm in a show, it's so much fun singing with her because she's such a great person. It's amazing. She's so organized. She's such a great director. Every hour we have something that we're working on, and I love seeing all my friends.

BWW: How does she coach you through your roles?

Maddie Lucas: Well, just like any director, she gives notes, but she really gets down into notes. She expects more of you as an actor, because she selects the role so specifically. Whenever she gives you notes, she's really getting into your character, making that character bigger than life, and helping you grow as an actor.

BWW: What sort of notes did Mandy give you for Gertrude McFuzz?

Maddie Lucas: One of the things that I needed to work on was my voice. Because that voice is very different than any other voice that I had to do for a character. And one problem that I had with that voice was getting it to "squeaky". She helped me work on toning it down sometimes and figuring out the places when to pause and everything like that.

BWW: Could you tell me how she helped you develop the character?

Maddie Lucas: During rehearsals, we had a lot of time. We did a few exercises. One exercise was called "get into the character." We would figure out our defining line. We would just get into a zone where we would imagine the line on a piece of paper, and it had a certain font and a certain angle. Mine was [the song] "Notice Me, Horton." Then we would put the line into our bodies. We would put the line in our feet then we'd move it up to our knees and our hips, so the character was in our body. We did this before the show. You just take a breath and you know you've been working on this character. It's great to know that you're prepared to perform that character on stage.

BWW: What does training at Inspiration Stage generally involve?

Maddie Lucas: They have acting classes every Monday, and we go to those. They help us develop our character more versus working on choreography and blocking. So, during those acting classes, we work on our character and different things.

BWW: Do you find it useful?

Maddie Lucas: Yes, it's very useful. It's hard because you're trying to make a huge show like SEUSSICAL JR. in a short time-frame, it's hard to find rehearsal time to figure out certain kinks and quirks about your character. That is what we use the acting classes for versus rehearsal times for SEUSSICAL JR. where we would work on blocking, choreography, and music.

BWW: Jeff, please tell me a little bit more about your (and Inspiration Stage's) role in the Junior Theater Festival (JTF). What will you be presenting?

Jeff Sensat: We're going to be presenting a 15 minute cut of the Musical Theater International show SEUSSICAL JR. My official role is music director. However, in my month here, Sarah Patterson has been instrumental as assistant music director and artistic director. She's actually taken on and done a wonderful job. We're kind of co-directing it now. It's easier on both of us that way.

BWW: How was Inspiration Stage chosen to participate in the Junior Theater Festival?

Jeff Sensat: First, you have to have produced the play or the cutting of the play that you're going to perform at JTF. Then you have a cutting that you take to JTF. And the rules of the contest do a very good job of leveling the playing field. You can only wear your t-shirts, so they strip you of any costumes. You cannot use any large props, so they strip you of your set. The cool thing about that is you can have a theater that has a multi-million dollar budget on one hand. Then there can be a theater that doesn't have hardly any budget. It gives all the kids the same level playing field. It all boils down to your direction and talent of the kids.

BWW: Maddie, tell me how you feel about JTF. Are you excited?

Maddie Lucas: I'm so excited about JTF! It is theater kid heaven. It is one of the best experiences that I have ever been to as a theater kid. Whenever you walk in, you just take a deep breath, you look around, and you know that everyone around you loves the same thing that you do. It's amazing.

BWW: What was last year like?

Maddie Lucas: [Laughs] Last year, after we performed our 15 minute show, we all sat down and started crying because we realized how much work we put into it, making that 15 minutes the best show you can put on. [Pauses] It's so great to know how hard you worked on it. Also, I was selected as an All Star Cast Member. JTF just offers so many opportunities as a theater person to get out there and to show the world what you can do.

BWW: What are you looking forward to this year?

Maddie Lucas: This year at JTF, I am really looking forward to meeting the people that I met last year. I'm very excited to meet them. And, at JTF, they have so many cool performances. You get to see what other people have been working on for the month. So, I am really excited to see the performances and meet my friends that I met last year and new people.

BWW: Do you keep up with the friends you make at JTF?

Maddie Lucas: Oh, yes! I see them through social media. I met a lot of friends there last year, and through social media, we've exchanged our numbers and stuff. I've been texting them. We're excited to meet up again in Atlanta. [Laugs] That's one of the great parts about JTF. There are people all around the nation, and you all meet in one spot. I have friends that I met a year ago, thinking, "I'm excited that I met these people, but who knows if I'll see them again?" I can say that I have kept up with every single person at JTF that I have met.

BWW: Awesome! Jeff, what advice do you have for your students on adjudication? Are any of the students nervous about that?

Jeff Sensat: I think there's always some amount of trepidation when they first step onto the stage. I know there is for me. I will tell them, "Enjoy what you are about to do, because if you are dedicated to what you're doing, they're going to go on the ride with you. If you're half committed, they will be half committed or less committed than you are. If you are dedicated to what you are doing, then they will in turn reciprocate with that same kind of energy."

I will say that, at the Junior Theatre Festival, they have a very supportive attitude. The commentary generally tends to be very positive and supportive, so generally what I tell people is, "Anytime you step on the stage, the reality is that most of the people watching you are not there to see you fail. They're there to support you. They're there to see the show. They want you to do a good job. So ignore that ridiculous age-old notion to imagine everyone in underwear, which I think actually demeans the audience. They're not there to boo you, hiss you, and throw tomatoes. They want to be entertained."

BWW: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make a career in musical theater?

Jeff Sensat: Yeah, don't. [I Laugh] It's going to sound trite, but it really is one of the hardest jobs in the world to make a living at. So, if there is anything, anything else in the world that you could do and be happy doing, do that. Because it's a rough life. It's an exhausting life. And it is an unforgiving, cruel world. You're expected to be the most talented but the majority of the time you're expected to receive and happily take the least amount of money for what you are supposed to be the most talented at. There's only a very thin slice of that huge dish of pie called the entertainment field where people really make the big bucks.

A lot of times, what I see people do, if you go to college and you're a technician, a costumer, or in one of the more support capacity fields in theatre, those people tend to be more settled and steadily employed than perhaps performers are.

Another thing I tell them is, if you think that by day you can be a graphic designer or an engineer in a recording studio and pay the bills with those jobs, then by all means do that. Have that creative outlet. Then, come nighttime, you can go to the community theater and hoop and holler it up. You can still satiate your artistic desire, but still be able to pay the bills.

That's my, maybe not so positive [Laughs], endorsement of the entertainment world and community. If you can do something else, do it. If you can't imagine a life without performing, without singing, without acting everyday, then of course do that. What other option do you have? Be happy.

Inspiration Stage is a performing arts studio and theater. At the 2014 Junior Theater Festival, Inspiration Stage was one of twelve companies (out of 93 participating troupes) to earn an Excellence in Acting award. Performers Maddie Lucas and Jack Patterson were named All Star Cast Members. For more information about Inspiration Stage, visit http://inspirationstage.com/.

For more information about the Junior Theater Festival, visit www.itheatrics.com/junior-theatre-festival/.

iTheatrics mission is to "ensure kids everywhere experience the transformative power of musical theater." The company adapts Broadway musicals for performance by elementary, middle and high school students and provides educational resources to musical theatre educators. For more information about iTheatrics, visit http://www.iTheatrics.com.

Inspiration Stage students attending the Junior Theater Festival are:

Lauren Beaman, Alexandra Champion, Wesley Dollahon, Claire Domenic-Smith, Addie Doss, Addy Elliott, Sarah Flavin, Madeline Font, Ashley Fontenot, Sydney Garcia, Abbey George, Liv Goodman, Christine Hernandez, Peyton Heussner, Lillian Hurter, Emma Jobes, Rayevin Johnson, Maddie Lucas, Madeleine Marlowe, Addy McMillen, Katelyn Montgomery, Miranda Montgomery, Reagan Scott, Cade Thomas, Danielle Troiano, Lizzie Tyer, and Davis Underwood

Photos courtesy of Inspiration Stage

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