Blog

After five incredible weeks of ‘artistic bloodsucking’ and devotion to the craft, our summer conservatory program concluded on Saturday with a brilliant celebration of the power of theatre – a showcase by our young artists.

My mind, heart, and soul are full, but I. am. exhausted.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this program is absolutely one of the best professional training programs for young actors in the nation. And I am so proud to be a part of it, along with the rest of the phenomenal faculty. I wish every young artist considering a career in professional theatre could experience a journey like the one we took this summer. Can you even imagine what the future of this industry could be…and how much more we, as an artistic profession on the whole, could affect our society and change our world if every young actor participated in a program like this and then branched out into the community as inspired, passionate, and generous as these young people are? It’s mindblowing! What a beautiful summer!

{via – photo by Ken Huth of Huth Photo – click the “via” link to check out more awesome pro shots by Ken of our young artists in action from Saturday’s showcase performance photo call}

{The faculty, staff, and apprenti – minus Skip and Shawnda – celebrating a wonderful Academy with a cast party of our own at The Distillery post-showcase}

{Playing our objectives}

{A few of the flowers and thank you notes I received from the students, brightening up our home with love and happy memories}

{And a butterscotch martini to celebrate}

And the best part is (to borrow a line from one of the showcase scenes and Peter and the Starcatcher) “Eveything ends. And so our story begins!”

Just as it does now for our newest Academy alumni, and as it will for the rest of us too. This isn’t an end. In fact, it’s just beginning!