Melodie Lane (right), Director and founder of Teen Troupe, a children’s acting workshop, enjoys the improvisational creativity of her charges at a recent workshop. The group of students in grades 6 through 12 plan to put on their first production in January. Photo by Phil Houseal
Details:
Teen Troupe will begin a new session sometime in the spring. For information, contact the Fredericksburg Theater Company at 830-997-3588.
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Teen Troupe
by Phil Houseal
Nov 11, 2009
When Melodie Lane was in 6th grade, her class put on a production of Pinocchio. She wanted to be the cat.
“I was not one of the well-known people in school,” she said. “So, I didn’t get the part of the cat.”
The sting of that disappointment is one thing that drove her to start Teen Troupe, an improvisational acting group of about 20 young actors and singers.
About a year ago Lane approached Jeryl Hoover, Artistic Director of the Fredericksburg Theater Company, to discuss putting together a training troupe for young actors. Hoover embraced the idea, and the group now has about 20 children in grades 6 through 12 working weekly on improving their drama skills.
Lane is a former elementary teacher who, in spite of her early auditioning disappointment, has always loved theater. She often incorporated drama into her classroom lessons, as when she had her English students act out rather than read poetry, or her social studies classes assumed the roles of slaves on the underground railroad.
“Drama made learning more interesting, and my students got more out of it,” she said. “It is always better when you can incorporate your whole body in learning.”
Teen Troupe meets two times a week to practice improvisation, scene building, and pantomime. Hoover helps with vocal instruction. Lane and her assistant Matt Ward are gentle and positive forces in guiding the youngsters through what can be nerve-wracking and vulnerable exercises.
The day I watched, Lane and Ward handed out cards at random containing characters and scenarios. The students broke into small groups and had a few minutes to create a scene involving their random situations. The results were hilarious and surprisingly sophisticated, with the kids melding parts from juvenile delinquents on cruise ships to old ladies at skating rinks.
But the best part was watching the audience. Kids laughed and applauded their troupe mates, while Lane enthusiastically pointed out the positive and creative results.
“That reaction is what thrills me,” Lane said. “Some of these kids started out timid, but they have lost some of that as they have gotten to know the other kids. There is not a competitive feel - we are a team. We encourage everyone to respect everyone’s ability, no matter their age or experience.”
While the focus at Teen Troupe is on improving onstage skills, I was interested to hear the students were taking home some other, non-acting benefits.
Holly, 13: “I get to mingle with other people I don’t know.”
Samantha, 11: “This gets me out of my shell.”
Savannah, 15: “I learn to be more open and relate to people better.”
MacKenzie 12: “This will help me grow.”
The Troupers already are heavily involved in FTC’s Christmas show and are pointing to put on their first big production by January. It will be a variety show, with the Teen Troupe members showing off the best of what they have learned.
“It will be a time when they can say, ‘I can do what I always wanted to do - to show my talents.’”
This is Melodie Lane’s world, where every student gets a shot at finally being “the cat.”
“In this group, no one walks away saying they did not get their chance. They leave excited. That is wonderful. That is my reward.”