THE WEEKLY WILLIE ISSUE 4, VOLUME XIVJUNE 26, 2015

SPTP-er of the WeekPage 1

The EPICPage 3

Meet Me in MorristownPage 6

Staff SpotlightPage 7

Photo © Avery Brunkus, 2015

BECCA DAGNALLWritten by: Devon Villacampa, Marketing Intern

Q: How did you get involved in theatre?A: I played a lot of sports growing up. Then, in middle school, I was cast in a school production and sort of fell into theatre. For a while, I was focused on the acting aspect. As I got older, I got more involved in administrative areas.

Q: What do you like most about working with children?A: I have a degree in Education and Theatre from Kean University so this program is sort of like a marriage between the two. It’s such a breath of fresh air to watch children not only understand theatre,but also appreciate and see it in an entirely new light.

Q: What have been your biggest challenges working with children?A: I think the hardest part is just getting the kids to interact with each other. Nowadays, kids are so focused on technology. They’re not always comfortable with face-to-face interaction. I don’t think it’s necessarily worse than generations before them, and I think it does vary based on socio-economic setting, but we always enjoy breaking these kids out of their shells and watching them work together.

Q: What are some future career goals you have for yourself?A: Ideally, I’d like to get an M.F.A. I already have a teaching certificate and I’d like to work for a theatre company somewhere and do educational work.

Q: As a theatre/education major, you probably read a lot of books and plays. What are some of your favorites?A: I love Neil Simon’s The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. There’s also a children’s play I love called Afternoon of the Elves, but Shakespeare-wise, I would have to say The Tempest.

Position: Education Intern

Hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey

School: Kean University

Fun Facts:• She’s a comic book nerd

• Enjoys shooting rifles• Harcorde “Skylanders” player

SPTP-er of the Week:

Where’s Willie?

Wishing the company a very happy

opening week for Love’s Labour’s Lost!

Photo © Avery Brunkus, 2015

THE EPIC: THE MAHABHARATAWritten by: Katie Paolacci, Marketing Intern

This past weekend, the apprentice company performed parts one and two of The Tale of Savitri from The Mahabharata. Not only did the two parts differ in apprentice group, they also differed in style. Stephen Brown-Fried and Doug West both took on the job of directing the apprentice groups in their epic portrayal. Stephen’s artistic vision of this epic was almost melodious. He used music and movement to imagine the text onto the stage. It was like watching a conductor orchestrate a symphony. On the other hand, Doug’s artistic vision of this epic established a sort-of growth-like characteristic. The actors rendered the image of a tree through the movement in their actions. Both depictions were creative, well-rehearsed, and displayed a beautifully cyclical nature— exhibiting loyalty to the movement and voice, similar to that of Savitri.

“On her neck his clasping left arm sweetly winds in soft embrace,

Round his waist Savitri’s right arm doth sweetly

interlace,

Thus they walked the darksome jungle, silent stars looked

from above,And the hushed and throbbing midnight watched Savitri’s deathless love.”

-Excerpt from The MahabharataPhoto © Avery Brunkus, 2015

CLICK THE GRAPHICS FOR MORE INFOPhotos © Avery Brunkus, 2015

MEET M

E

IN

MORRIS

TOWN

Last Thursdays of june, july, august

GRAPHICS & VIDEO BY:AVERY

BRUNKUS,MARKETING INTERN

cLICK ABOVE TO VIEW THE VIDEOPASSWORD: SPTP2015

STAFF SPOTLIGHT:

MARIA SOUZAWritten by: Jamie Stapel, Marketing Intern

FUN FACTS ABOUT MARIA• She claims to have zero

talent in anything sports related.

• She is allergic to kiwi• She was kissed by Billie

Joe Armstrong and body-checked by Paul

Rudd on opening night of American Idiot on Broadway.

Q: What do you remember about your first day at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey?A: It was a snow day. No, seriously. Actually, my first day at STNJ was in May of 2008. I came as an Acting Apprentice. I was terrified to be away from home and excited by the opportunity to study at STNJ. When I came back in January of 2009 to work as a Teaching Artist/Co-House Manager/Co-Box Office Manager, I was thrilled. In February of 2014, I came to work as the Professional Training and Outreach Coordinator for the Education Department. My first day was a snow day; however, the day before I had visited the office with my father. I had not seen 3 Vree until this time. I was blown away by how much the company had grown and I was floored by the amazing facility. I ran into Brian in the shop, who promptly picked me up in a hug and told me he swore I was taller. The rest is a blur.

Q: What’s next for you?A: This fall, I begin my pursuit of an MFA from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in Manhattan. I will be studying performance.

Q:What do you think is the most important lesson you have learned here?A: If it feels like too much and you can’t do it, put one foot in front of the other and get it done. Also, it is important to remember to eat lunch.

Q:What advice do you have for people who want to work in theatre professionally?A:Be ready to miss things. Be ready to sleep less. READ EVERYTHING. Watch people, listen to people, learn about different cultures, communities, and types of art. Surround yourself with things that make you happy. Call someone important to you (outside of theatre) at least once a week and check-in. Eat lunch, or at least breakfast.

Q: What is your favorite memory from STNJ?A: All of the beautiful work I have seen on the Main Stage, Outdoor Stage, in the classroom, and in the Training Programs. It is a fortunate thing to live and work in an environment of so many dedicated and talented artists. I consider myself lucky in this. In 2009, there was a production of The Grapes of Wrath. It was visually and emotionally the most stunning piece of live theatre I have seen to date. It is the only time I have stood at curtain call and had no idea I was on my feet.

THIS WEEK IN EDUCATIONWritten by: Natalie Kane, Education Intern

This week the Education Interns have been busy preparing for the Junior and Senior Shakespeare Corps, which will begin on Monday, June 29. Two sessions of each program are offered throughout the summer, so each intern with get the opportunity to work with one session of the middle school-aged Junior Corps and one session of the high school-aged Senior Corps. Both programs utilize a variety of materials which must be prepared in advance, ranging from schedules and name tags to be distributed on the first day, to scripts and design elements which will be used in the final performances. The Junior Corps is strongly ensemble-based and will be presenting an adaptation of the ancient Greek myth Demeter and Persephone. There will be an emphasis on the power of storytellers, so we have been researching the tradition of storytelling in different cultures with the goal of putting together a fun and inspirational presentation for the first day. For the Senior Corps, which will be performing Henry V, we are creating dramaturgical materials and helping to finalize an abridged script with an appropriate distribution of roles for our ensemble.

Photo © Avery Brunkus, 2014Junior Corps, 2014

MEETING NSE IN MORRISTOWNAn Interview with Sarah Paton, Next Stage Ensemble Member

Q: How is being in the Next Stage Ensemble preparing you for being a professional actor?A: It’s definitely something that I’ve never done before and it is challenging me in all these different arenas. While we get to take a few classes, we had to come together extremely quickly and begin putting on this show. It really is about the process of rehearsing and being in the room with the director ten hours a day working as an ensemble and really starting to feel each other. And then we come to places like this, and as the venue changes, everything has to change--your voice, physical technique, and specificity, but you also still have to be able to bring the kind the kind of magic you would want in a really small space.

Q: Do you have any advice for students interested in performance? A: See as much great theatre as you can, especially the classics, which are classics for a reason, but also get out there and see all the new work. And then I think you’ve just got to be brave and find great institutions like NJ Shakespeare that are really dedicated to helping grow young professionals. I started at STNJ when I was in high school. But I thunk at the end of the day you just have to be brave enough to come out in front of people and bear your soul.

Written by: Jamie Stapel, Marketing Intern

THE WEEKLY WILLIE STAFFTHE WEEK AHEADJr. & Sr. Corps Begin

June 29

Fireworks in Florham Park

July 4th

STAFFEditor-in-Chief/

Layout EditorKatie Paolacci

Photographer/Graphics & Video

Avery Brunkus

WritersAvery BrunkusNatalie KangKatie PaolacciJamie Stapel

Devon Villacampa

Staff EditorLauren Biscaldi

Avery Brunkus Katie Paolacci

Jamie Stapel Devon Villacampa

STNJ BIRTHDAYSANNEKE DEMAREST

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENTJUNE 22

cabaret auditionsFriday, June 26 6:00-7:30 PMSunday, June 28 3:00-5:30 PMLocation: The Kirby Theatre

Treehouse

Photos © Avery Brunkus, 2015