Program report: Shadow Company
(From Artistic Director, Brooke Sexton)
Every Saturday morning our High School students get a work out. For the first hour and a half it is a work out of their acting muscles. Led by actor, director, teacher (and all around gift to these kids), Gavin Whitt. Gavin sets the bar high and then insists that they clear it. They do for him and for themselves. Gavin’s attention to the smallest gesture, his insistence that each actor dig deeper and give more is teaching these young artists not just to entertain, but how to inspire; how to share truth with an audience. Every week, watching them work, it’s the best part of my week. I wish everyone could see it because these young people’s hunger to improve, paired with Gavin’s generous passion and wisdom is a reason to get out of bed and fight the good fight.
After they are warmed up and pushed to their edges, Natalie, Geo and I dive in with them for a couple of hours working on their piece for this year’s Fringe Festival. We play a lot. Mess around with words, ideas, pictures and movement. We ask big questions about the world they are growing into and look for the human stories that can express that struggle. The kids are so generous with each other, they trust each other and themselves. They trust us (which feels like the highest of honors). We just have fun.
Everyone should be having this much fun.