Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars Program

We spoke with Madison Chapman and Kristin Davis from the Education Department at the Bushnell Theatre about the Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars program and the production of Matilda Jr. Tickets for the Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars' production of Matilda Jr. will be going on sale on November 22nd.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Alison Demurz. My guests this morning are from the Education
Department over at the beautiful Bushnel Theater. I have with
the Madison Chapman and Kristin Davis. Good morning, Good morning Alison.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
How are you?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm great? How are you guys doing crazy?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Fine? Thank you.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
So we're here to talk about the Bushnell Performing Arts
Scholars program, which is new. Tell me how did it
all come about?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, the Bushell Performing Arts Scholars came about as a
sector of our Talent Development Division, and I guess kind
of in order to explain that is just to kind
of give you a little quick background on our Education
department itself. The department was founded thirty two years ago
by our now Senior Vice President of Education and Community

(00:50):
Chief Community Impact Officer, Lan Spears, along with Ronald Reynolds,
who was a long time and beloved executive Bushnell administrator,
and they began doing art education programming in the community,
partnering with school and community based organizations thirty two years
ago and now since that inception, we continue those same

(01:11):
partnerships and providing programming and under that umbrella is one
of our divisions is talent Development, and so the talent
development division of our departments about more than two decades
ago with our vocal training program, the ENSIGN Darling Vocal Fellows,
and that is a program that is provided to teenagers

(01:35):
between the ages of fifteen to nineteen years of age.
It's an audition based program that matriculates. Every year we
bring in a new cast of kids. The kids that
are already in the program have the ability to continue
matriculating their grandfather, if you will, and then we bring
and new ones to join them. Here. They are provided
vocal instruction, so they get scholarship for complementary vocal instruction

(01:59):
for an entire school year. They get complementary vocal coaching.
They are entitled to monthly master classes and creative workshops
and opportunities, and then ultimately they perform each year on
the Bushnel stage for a culminating concerts. And so all
that to say that our performing our scholars is very
much a sibling, if you will, to the ENSIGN Darling program.

(02:23):
It is designed in the same manner. It is training
for young actors and actresses between the ages of seven
to fourteen years and designed in that very same manner
where they are provided with instruction and then ultimately perform
on our bushel stage at the end of the school year.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Holy Kyle, that's amazing.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
It is. We're very excited, very excited.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
So when you say during the school year, is this
something they do after school on the weekends? How does
it work?

Speaker 3 (02:54):
So?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Actually it is, yes, after school right now. The following
are very rigorous, practical do I'll let Madison talk a
little bit more about in just a minute. The kids
are now we have a first class of performing our scholars.
We have forty one of them and they are now
in the process of attending master classes and workshops, and
then that will lead into them going into Richissal after

(03:17):
the first of the year and then performing a live
theatrical performance on our building stage in May of next year.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Oh nice, in March, Yes, March twenty eighth and twenty ninth.
So Madison, tell me about the audition process. What is
that like?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Absolutely so. When we shared the registration link for this program,
we had an overwhelming response. We had almost two hundred
interested participants and we ended up auditioning over one hundred
students for this inaugural class and at the audition students
prepared a song monologue in dance, and they performed in

(03:54):
front of a panel of judges which comprised of industry
professionals from the Heart School of Music to Hartford Academy
at the Arts and the University of Connecticut. And we
were so impressed by the love of talent over the
course of the three days that we ended up double
casting the show until, like Kristin said, we have forty
one students as a part of our inaugural class and

(04:15):
they will all be performing in Matilda this March.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
So it's Matilda Junior that was chosen as the first production.
Why this show.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, for a number of reasons. First and foremost because
we love the show. Who doesn't love Matilda? But there
were some, you know, particular reasons that made us think
that this would be, you know, a great choice for
our coming out of the gate and for starting the program.
One of those being that it is comprised of strong
roles the show. The story centers around children, especially Matilda
and her classmates, which allows for meaningful and age appropriate

(04:46):
roles for our performing our scholars. The story also promotes
positive messaging and themes like intelligence, creativity, courage standing up
for what's right. And one of the also the biggest
reasons is that it fosters a sense of teamwork and
coopera And you know, this is certainly not only a
key value in seat or education, but in life as
we know it.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
What do you hope the children take away with them
when this process is over?

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Certainly, you know, again it is a learning opportunity. So
you know, we certainly hope to strengthen their abilities in
performing arts at large, but more importantly, you know, exposure
to the arts overall, you know, helps build self confidence,
It helps with critical thinking, problem solving skills, teaches the

(05:31):
art of collaboration and teamwork, and so those are the
things that you know, I think more even more so
than sharpening their performing art skills, those are the you know,
the the goals that we striving for. Overall. This is
a really talented group of kids, you know, Madison said
it was a rigorous audition process. Very talented. So you know,

(05:51):
a lot of them have a foundation already in terms
of their skill sets and their artistry, and we're just
helping to build upon that and hoping to for they're cultivated.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
How can other aspiring young actors become involved with the
b PASS program.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
So this year we are all set with our class
and we hope that aspiring you an actor will come
and see our production of Matilda this March. We are
looking to continue this program for years to come, and
so there'll be many more opportunities. This past year, prior
to the auditions, we held audition prep classes to support
students who might not be as familiar with the audition

(06:28):
process and to make it exable to those who might
not have the same opportunities as some of our students
who have been taking dance and singing lessons throughout their childhood.
And so we're looking forward to continuing to have that
as an opportunity for all students to prepare for auditions
next fall.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
This class will culminate again with Matilda Junior in March,
and then later on in the spring we will have
the announcement of the next opportunity for the twenty six
twenty seven class performing our scholars and so all that
information can be found on our website under the.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
Education tap at bushneyl dot org. Correct, so, how are
you able to provide a program like this? Are you
looking for donations? How can the community help support something
like this, well.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
In general, you know, the Bushnell, the programming and the
working initiatives that take place at the Bushnell are made
possible through generous and thoughtful contributions of our dedicated donors,
our sponsors, board member benefitars, and public and private grant
award for the b Pass program in general. Specifically, certainly,
one way to support is to purchase tickets and come

(07:39):
and see the fabulous show that's going to take place
in March of next year.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
So Matilda Junior is happening March twenty eighth and twenty ninth. Again,
you can go to Bushnell dot org to get your tickets.
What do you hope the audience takes away with them
after seeing these shows?

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Certainly an appreciation for all of the hard work and
efforts and the violence that will be played by you know,
this incredible group of young people, and also, you know,
even improved for those who have some familiarity with it,
or a brand new sense of appreciation for the arts
education initiatives and the programming that we provide as a

(08:19):
performing arts center here in the community.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
Tell me, Madison, what has been the response from the
children who are participating so far?

Speaker 3 (08:27):
We've been aging with the students through master classes, and
each week they've been coming in the evening for these classes,
and they are so excited and so eager to learn
and to build community among their casts. So far, they
have done a vocal health device, theater acting and singing,
as well as musical theater dance. And to see them

(08:49):
continue to gain confidents and to feel so proud of
themselves at the end of each class is just such
a magical feeling, and we're hoping to care this energy
into the new year. They for rehearsing their production. It
was really important to us that they had these training
opportunities to start off before jumping into the script for Matilda,

(09:10):
and so far their response has.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Been wonderful, fabulous. I'm speaking with Madison Chapman and Kristin
Davis from the Bushnel. They're from the Education Department. It's
the Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars Program and you can go
see their show in March March twenty eighth and twenty ninth.
That's Matilda Junior. For more information, you can just go
to Bushnell dot org. Thank you so much the both

(09:33):
of you for being here today and for all the
amazing work that you're doing.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Thank you so much for having us, Alison, thank you