Interview: Kevin Kuchar Talks What's In Store For Act Two at Levine, One of DC's Most Unique Educational Theatre Programs

Over the past several years, I've featured several theatre education programs aimed at youth in the Washington, DC area here on BroadwayWorld.Com. Among those is Act Two at Levine, developed and led by Kevin Kuchar. Musical theatre students gain experience in performing, as well as other aspects of the theatre as they work on full productions and participate in masterclasses with some of the industry's best known performers, writers, and educators. Through partnerships some of our area's most well-known regional theatres, the cast members (as they are known) are provided opportunities to present their shows on some of the same stages that some of our best actors perform. As Act Two at Levine's 2015-2016 season gets into full swing, Kevin Kuchar was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about what the cast members in all three Act Two Programs (Pre-Professional, Mainstage, and First Act) will experience this season, and offer some insights on the value of educational theatre through an email-based Q&A with BroadwayWorld.Com.

Throughout the past few years you've cultivated relationships between Act Two at Levine and some of our area's most prominent theatres. Why do you think this is important? What kinds of activities will be undertaken in partnership with local area arts institutions this season?

It's been a mission of Act Two at Levine Music to create and cultivate lasting and engaging partnerships with other arts organizations since our inception. We are incredibly fortunate in the greater Washington, DC metro area to have such a dynamic, inclusive, and generous theatre community. The goal of our musical theatre programming at Levine Music is to incorporate as much of the "professional process" as possible. There's really no better way to do that then by staging our productions at some of the nation's best regional theaters and working in collaboration with the show makers, educators and designers here in our region. This season we started a new summer program with Signature Theatre and we look forward to expanding our relationship with them as they help shape the work our cast members are presenting. Arena Stage has been incredibly supportive of our mission. Since the beginning of the Pre-Professional Program, they have played host to our table reads, our shows, and our juries. We are especially honored to not only continue those efforts this season, but that we will be returning to present both AMERICAN IDIOT (January) and HAIR (May) in the Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage. As always, we look forward to continuing or educational partnerships with CityDance and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. The unique and varied partnerships between Act Two at Levine and these leading organizations fosters collaboration and exposes our cast members to varied approaches to theatre in a one-of-a kind training environment.

Act Two at Levine has never shied away from giving cast members the opportunity to work on some of most challenging, contemporary Broadway musicals (NEXT TO NORMAL, PARADE, SPRING AWAKENING, and RENT). How do you go about selecting shows to present each season and what specifically attracted you the shows that Act Two at Levine will be presenting this year?

NEXT TO NORMAL, RENT, SPRING AWAKENING, and other shows that deal with what some would term "mature content" have been wonderful pieces for our training artists to stage. I think it has become a part of Act Two at Levine's identity that we don't shy away from almost anything - an identity our cast members are proud of. AMERICAN IDIOT, SIDE SHOW, and HAIR round out another brave season for our Pre-Professional training program this year. Our middle school program (First Act, under the direction of Michele Vicino) will be staging LITTLE MERMAID JR. and FROG AND TOAD. First and foremost, I think selecting a season of shows that is responsive to interests of your artists is important; of course you want to find material they can relate to and enjoy, but more than that, selecting a season should be about finding new ways to integrate solid curriculum into concepts and materials that they will respond to and want to engage in. It is my personal belief - especially as our Pre-Professional candidates train - that we should keep in mind what we are trying to teach. For our cast members, a large part of the training is geared towards helping them develop as responsible artists. To my way of thinking, if you want them to learn to work like professionals you have to treat them as such; that means not shying away from material, but rather handling it in mature and responsible ways.

In addition to the Pre-Professional and First Act shows you've already mentioned, you will be presenting "LES MISERABLES" (School Edition) as the 10th anniversary mainstage show. Why did you select this show in particular, and can you reflect on how the program has changed over the past ten years?

LES MISERABLES (School Edition) is a timeless piece of musical theatre. It's iconic and almost every young training actor has daydreamed of playing a role in the show. Having done a production of it years before, it seemed like a natural fit for our program's anniversary. We have a very tight knit group of alumni and current cast members and there's a lot of excitement about being able to celebrate together this season. In true Act Two at Levine fashion, however, don't expect to see the LES MISERABLES you are familiar with. We are pretty proud of the aesthetic choices and design interpretations we've created and we wanted to bring something unexpected to the stage. We want to put forth a concept that celebrates what we feel is a vantage point, aesthetic and energy that is entirely our own in educational theatre - a vantage point and approach to musical theatre that has certainly developed as a result of trying new ideas over the past ten years.

Act Two at Levine has grown from a small program - not unlike many others - into what is now a trend shaping program in our region. We are proud that many of the programmatic ideas, philosophies and training devices are popping up as new "standards" in our area. Being adaptable and innovative has helped us grow into an educational group with not only the largest cast community, but also a cast community that has in immutable record for producing quality artists.

Each year, Act Two at Levine cast members benefit from masterclasses and other engagement opportunities with some of the industry's best artists. Can you tell us about the events you have planned for this year?

We have been incredibly fortunate to have the privilege working with world class Broadway and touring artists since the beginning of our programming. I believe that this should be a part of a quality program, not the centerpiece. Visiting artists bring a viewpoint and a knowledge base that is diverse. The more teaching styles and experience we can get in the room, the better prepared our cast members are for auditions and professional work. This season began with a visit from David Larsen from the national touring company of THE BOOK OF MORMON. In conjunction with our upcoming production of AMERICAN IDIOT, Tony Vincent (original Broadway cast member) will be visiting to work with our cast members. Later this season, Emily Padgett from the Broadway revival of SIDE SHOW will be working with our cast, and Cynthia Kortman Westphal (original company member of THE LION KING) from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) is returning for a masterclass. Additionally, there's at least one other surprise in the works, but that is for another chat.

What do you see as the benefits of participating as a cast member in Act Two at Levine programming?

There are a lot of options out there for the young training artist, and I think that is great. I think what's most important is that if you are a considering training as a means to a professional life in the arts, you do so by measuring the quality of the education and experience you are likely to receive. Ask any cast member that has joined us for training and I think you will hear about a community of collaborative show makers that is dedicated to the process of creating strong artistic works by recreating as much of the professional process as we can. Act Two at Levine is not shy about being brave with our work. We are not timid about being an original with our curriculum. We are proud of what we have created together as a cast community. We are also not secretive about our success. We have cast members working at every level of the professional spectrum, alumni in almost every major college program for musical theatre in the country, and cast members who are joining professional companies within days of graduating from our program. Nowhere else will a training artist be working so consistently with as many world class visiting artists, and presenting shows in award-winning, nationally-known, regional theatres, while learning from as qualified of a teaching staff as what you'll find at Levine Music. Couple those opportunities with our continued pursuit of new educational experiences for our cast members, and the benefits are many.

What attracted you to the idea of heading up an educational theatre program?

Actually, a big part of the theatre education I had as a high school student dictates what I am driven to make sure our cast members are receiving here at Levine Music. I grew up with an enthusiastic teacher and I was inspired for sure, but I had no real sense of what it takes to make a career out of the craft. It wasn't until I came to DC that I started to learn more about what programs and training were needed to position students for a high likelihood for success in the performing arts.

How long have you headed up Act Two at Levine and where do you expect the program to go from here?

I have been the founding Artistic Director and Musical Theatre Department Chair for Levine Music since the beginning of Act Two at Levine. As our program looks towards the seasons ahead - I hope to continue to propel our cast community towards a one-of-a-kind musical theatre education. We want to continue to position our cast members for success by exploring new ways to improve their skill set and their understanding of the process involved in creating musical theatre.

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