Students and Alumni Set the Stage for Theater Success
Students past and present have made their way to the stage in recent months, earning the spotlight for theater work at a variety of levels.
Students past and present have made their way to the stage in recent months, earning the spotlight for theater work at a variety of levels.
The Rivers community received exciting news this summer when Miles Jacoby '07 was cast as Bob Gaudio in the Broadway tour of Jersey Boys, which is coming to Boston this February. Drama teacher Juliet Bailey cast Jacoby in one of his first theater productions when he was a sixth grade student at Rivers.
Along with Jacoby, many young alumni have launched careers in theater, either on stage or behind the scenes. Lenni Kmiec ’06 recently appeared in Gloucester Stage Company’s production of Crimes of the Heart, Nicki Hunter ’05 is working at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City, and Molly Jarvis ’08 lends her talents to Trinity Repertory in Rhode Island.
Bailey said it’s important for current students to hear these recent alumni success stories, which are adding to the enthusiasm in Rivers’ drama department this year.
“This is a really exciting time – my Introduction to Theater class has more kids than past years and there’s a lot of interest in the program,” said Bailey.
Members of the drama department have already begun work on this year’s fall show, Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. According to Bailey, the students participating in the production are highly motivated, supportive, and committed to improving their skills. Two students cast in the play—Zoe Weisskoff ’13 and Erin Barlow ’13—attended summer acting programs at nearby Walnut Hill and Vassar’s prestigious Powerhouse Theater.
At Walnut Hill’s Summer Theater Program, Weisskoff joined 50 actors from across the globe for five weeks of formal training. Students spent the morning in dance, musical theater, and acting classes, and rehearsed shows in the afternoon. The end result was the production of four plays and two musicals.
“The best part of the whole experience was just being able to work with such talented actors,” said Weisskoff.
Weisskoff began acting at age seven, and said she plans to keep theater in her life for as long as possible. After playing major roles in past Rivers productions like Harvey and Man of La Mancha, she is looking forward to playing the role of Maria in Twelfth Night.
“The most amazing thing about acting is being able to express yourself freely,” said Weisskoff. “I love that people take acting seriously at Rivers, get to know one another, and care about what they’re doing.”
Barlow also spent the summer honing her acting skills. She studied at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater Apprentice Program for six weeks, and appeared in Julius Caesar and Shipwrecked as part of her studies. Like Walnut Hill’s program, actors at Vassar attended classes in the morning and would often rehearse until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., preparing a total of six different final productions.
Barlow, who has acted in the Rivers productions of Harvey and Antigone, said the most important lessons she learned this summer were the importance of reading a play thoroughly before an audition, having confidence, and being prepared. She has already done considerable research on Twelfth Night and her character, Olivia.
According to Barlow, the lessons she’s learned from acting are applicable off the stage as well.
“It really helps with a lot of different things, like presentation skills, business, and any future job,” she said. “It’s definitely a useful tool.”
The drama bug has bitten more than just students – Upper School English teacher Julian Willard also found a passion for theater while at Rivers. This summer, Willard attended a Shakespeare conference at Phillips Exeter Academy and played the lead role in the Medfield Players’ production of Antony and Cleopatra.
“I love the language of Shakespeare,” said Willard. “I was very lucky to discover a new interest in acting.”
With no acting experience at all, Willard was asked to play Capulet in the Rivers production of Romeo and Juliet three years ago. His acting debut fueled further exploration and Willard has been acting in community theater roles ever since. He said he has found ways to integrate drama into his English courses to round out the classroom experience for students.
As Bailey attests, the drama department at Rivers cultivates actors—whether they are students or teachers—with support from the entire community.
“It is reflective of Rivers’ respect for the arts in general,” she said.
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The Rivers community received exciting news this summer when Miles Jacoby '07 was cast as Bob Gaudio in the Broadway tour of Jersey Boys, which is coming to Boston this February. Drama teacher Juliet Bailey cast Jacoby in one of his first theater productions when he was a sixth grade student at Rivers.
Along with Jacoby, many young alumni have launched careers in theater, either on stage or behind the scenes. Lenni Kmiec ’06 recently appeared in Gloucester Stage Company’s production of Crimes of the Heart, Nicki Hunter ’05 is working at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City, and Molly Jarvis ’08 lends her talents to Trinity Repertory in Rhode Island.
Bailey said it’s important for current students to hear these recent alumni success stories, which are adding to the enthusiasm in Rivers’ drama department this year.
“This is a really exciting time – my Introduction to Theater class has more kids than past years and there’s a lot of interest in the program,” said Bailey.
Members of the drama department have already begun work on this year’s fall show, Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. According to Bailey, the students participating in the production are highly motivated, supportive, and committed to improving their skills. Two students cast in the play—Zoe Weisskoff ’13 and Erin Barlow ’13—attended summer acting programs at nearby Walnut Hill and Vassar’s prestigious Powerhouse Theater.
At Walnut Hill’s Summer Theater Program, Weisskoff joined 50 actors from across the globe for five weeks of formal training. Students spent the morning in dance, musical theater, and acting classes, and rehearsed shows in the afternoon. The end result was the production of four plays and two musicals.
“The best part of the whole experience was just being able to work with such talented actors,” said Weisskoff.
Weisskoff began acting at age seven, and said she plans to keep theater in her life for as long as possible. After playing major roles in past Rivers productions like Harvey and Man of La Mancha, she is looking forward to playing the role of Maria in Twelfth Night.
“The most amazing thing about acting is being able to express yourself freely,” said Weisskoff. “I love that people take acting seriously at Rivers, get to know one another, and care about what they’re doing.”
Barlow also spent the summer honing her acting skills. She studied at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater Apprentice Program for six weeks, and appeared in Julius Caesar and Shipwrecked as part of her studies. Like Walnut Hill’s program, actors at Vassar attended classes in the morning and would often rehearse until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., preparing a total of six different final productions.
Barlow, who has acted in the Rivers productions of Harvey and Antigone, said the most important lessons she learned this summer were the importance of reading a play thoroughly before an audition, having confidence, and being prepared. She has already done considerable research on Twelfth Night and her character, Olivia.
According to Barlow, the lessons she’s learned from acting are applicable off the stage as well.
“It really helps with a lot of different things, like presentation skills, business, and any future job,” she said. “It’s definitely a useful tool.”
The drama bug has bitten more than just students – Upper School English teacher Julian Willard also found a passion for theater while at Rivers. This summer, Willard attended a Shakespeare conference at Phillips Exeter Academy and played the lead role in the Medfield Players’ production of Antony and Cleopatra.
“I love the language of Shakespeare,” said Willard. “I was very lucky to discover a new interest in acting.”
With no acting experience at all, Willard was asked to play Capulet in the Rivers production of Romeo and Juliet three years ago. His acting debut fueled further exploration and Willard has been acting in community theater roles ever since. He said he has found ways to integrate drama into his English courses to round out the classroom experience for students.
As Bailey attests, the drama department at Rivers cultivates actors—whether they are students or teachers—with support from the entire community.
“It is reflective of Rivers’ respect for the arts in general,” she said.
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