Today we are bringing you the second, and final, installment of our apprentice interview series. We are lucky to hear from Mery today, she will be working all summer at our summer camps so she is not quite done here yet, but we wanted to hear a bit about her experience so far!
Parker: Are there surprising ways your theater training has helped you in your role as an Education Apprentice?
Mery: The most surprising thing that has helped me in my role that I can attribute to my training is the power of patience. In theater, there is a significant amount of waiting around and having patience, and here at Encore, we also use/need large amounts of patience as we are sometimes placed in high-stress situations and work with all kinds of people every day.
Parker: What are things about your work at a non-profit theater that might surprise people?
Mery: It requires input from everyone involved! When you work in a big corporation, a lot of the time, multiple people are doing the same exact job. This isn’t the case for non-profit organizations, as there are often only one or two people doing a specific task/job, and everyone is working together to create an ultimate project outcome.
Parker: You worked with Encore over the summer last year, but you only started as an Education Apprentice in January. What has changed about your role now that you’re in this position?
Mery: I feel like summer camps and day-to-day life at Encore are two very different things! Summer camps feel very hectic (in the best way!) but also very routine-based, whereas being an education apprentice consists of very different things every day. You get to learn a multitude of things and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t meet working at the summer camps.
Parker: What is an aspect of teaching theater that you did not expect to struggle with? What parts come easily?
Mery: Volume is probably the biggest one! I guess I had always assumed kids had no struggles with volume, but just like everyone else, they sometimes have trouble really projecting and getting their voice across the room. I, along with the other TAs, try to help our students and get them to practice being louder, but sometimes the best way to help a student is by just giving them a microphone and letting them project into that. In terms of what comes easily, I would say connecting with the students is what comes easiest to me. I try my best to meet them where they’re at and have some relatability (even though sometimes they think I’m just an old adult haha).
Parker: What has been the most rewarding moment of your first year?
Mery: For me, the most rewarding moment has been seeing how much kids enjoy theater and how much it helps them grow and develop as people. It reminds me of the joy it used to bring me as a kid, and how every day I would look forward to those after-school rehearsals!
Parker: How do you invest in yourself when you’re not at work? What do you do to refuel?
Mery: The biggest thing I’ve been doing is going to the gym (gotta get the gains!) As well as fixing my sleeping schedule. Outside of that, I also love to spend time with my friends and boyfriend. We’re all really big into going out and trying new food places, so that’s always fun and helps me feel refueled!
Parker: What words of wisdom do you want to share with students that are working towards
positions like yours?
Mery: Someone wise told me there is truly no good advice you can give a fellow/future actor. All I can say is, pursue your passion if this is truly something you want to pursue, and don’t be afraid to branch out and look at all the possible positions within this field.
Parker: How have you noticed your own growth in this position?
Mery: There are many skills I have acquired through this position, but in terms of my own growth, I have noticed I have become more sure of myself and have way more confidence now than I did when I first started Encore. I will credit the kids for that one, seeing how courageous and confident they are every day has made me want to be courageous and confident too!
Parker: If you look beyond summer, what plans do you have for after your apprenticeship?
Mery: As of right now, I only have some parts of the puzzle. I plan on moving to the Norfolk area in August and hope to find some projects out there that will allow me to continue acting/performing as well as a full-time position.
Parker: What is your favorite game or activity to run with students?
Mery: Some of my favorites include ships and sailors, bus stop, and (I kind of made this one up) it’s called ‘picture’ the basic gist of the game is that we give kids a prompt and they have to create a picture but at any given moment we can take away or add to the picture and it has to become a completely different picture.
Parker: Is there a moment that sticks out where you noticed a student shine?
Mery: There was a student in our Saturday classes who was a bit more on the shy side and sat out for the first few classes, but once they saw how much fun everyone was having, they decided to join in and even became one of the leads for our final share! At the end of the session, one of their parents also told me how much they enjoyed the class and how excited they were to continue doing Encore classes and camps. It always makes my heart really happy to see the shy kid stand out and really find their place within theater!