Middle school actors excel on renowned stages.

Middle school actors excel on renowned stages.
Stage Left: Henry Constable (center) in a performance of The Little Mermaid. He's currently in Camelot at the Ordway.

Is it just us, or do the actors on stage seem to be getting younger and younger? A thriving school theater scene in Minnetonka and ample opportunities for tweens to study acting, dance and music in the western ’burbs have sparked a bit of a thespian boom. We interviewed four local middle schoolers who have gone pro—building their resumes with high-profile roles and banking some serious college funds while they’re at it. We can’t wait to introduce you to this cast of characters.

 

Jay Soulen

Age: 11

School: Minnetonka Middle School East

Hometown: Minnetonka

 

Jay Soulen wasn’t terribly excited to audition for Deephaven Elementary School’s production of The Jungle Book. “But as soon as the audition began he got fired up,” says mom Trish Sisson. Jay says it was during his first script read-through that the curtain went up on his dream. “I knew right away that this was what I wanted to do with my life.” 

 

A few months later, Jay was cast in the starring role in Oliver! at the Minnetonka Theatre, and his parents—both performers in their own right—could relate with the thrill of being in front of a crowd. “There is nothing more satisfying than doing what you love to do—and getting paid to do so. Jay has already discovered this truth,” says Trish.

 

“I love it all: reading lines, working on choreography, letting my voice flow through the music. I love making new friends with every show and working with really talented people,” says Jay. “And after every performance, hearing the big applause and knowing that it’s for my fellow cast members and me is a feeling like no other.”

 

Between rehearsals, Jay gets dance coaching from Christa Anderson at CREO Dance Conservatory and has attended summer theater camps at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Edina. He’s got his hands full with Spanish immersion and honors classes at Minnetonka Middle School. His language arts teacher, Jacob Westman, has even crafted special assignments that allow Jay to use his experience on stage as a starting point for creative writing and critical thinking. 

 

With several performances under his belt, Jay says there’s one line in particular that’s stuck with him. “In A Christmas Story, The Musical, I will always remember the fun I had when I made my first appearance as Scut Farkus and let out a bellowing evil laugh—‘HA, HA, HA!’ ”

 

Nate Turcotte

Age: 12

School:

Minnetonka Middle School West

Hometown: Excelsior

 

When Nate Turcotte auditioned for his first play, his non-theatrical parents joked that he would likely be cast as a tree. But he walked away with the key role of Blue in The Jungle Book. “When I first saw him on stage, I was blown away,” says mom Marlo Turcotte. “He’s got something—he just lights up on stage.”

 

He fell hard for acting, taking on bigger roles at Theatre 301 and Latte Da and, this summer, The Music Man at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. “Playing young Patrick in Mame has been my favorite role so far,” Nate says. “It was my first big part on a big stage, and I got to work with professional actors including Teri Parker-Brown and Greta Grosch.”

 

 

Marlo says that Nate—a quiet, reserved kid—often surprises teachers and friends when they find out he acts. But his discipline and hard work have come in handy as he juggles honors courses and eight-hour rehearsals.

 

“He hasn’t had a month off since he started,” says Marlo. “The allure of the stage is definitely a calling to him. He’s having a lot of fun—but we’re not auditioning Disney anytime soon.”

 

Henry Constable

Age: 12

School: Valley View Middle School

Hometown: Deephaven

 

Henry Constable’s resume boasts commercials for General Mills, Toshiba and the Twins; an Owl City music video; and productions at virtually every major theater in the Twin Cities. He was also named Best Young Actor Under 18 in 2014 by Broadway World Minneapolis for his performance in Chanhassen Dinner TheatresLittle Mermaid

 

Henry started acting in camps at Stages Theater at age 4. He’s taken On Camera classes with Michelle Hutchison since age 8 and music lessons with Stephen Houtz. He starred in Oliver! this spring at Pantages through Theater Latte Da, and this summer he’s in The Music Man at the Guthrie.

 

But Henry doesn’t let all the attention go to his head as he thinks about his future. “My plan is to keep doing what I am doing—taking classes, perfecting my skills along the way while learning new skills—and see where life takes me,” he says. “Life is an adventure.” He’s also very devoted to school and keeping up with his friends.

 

“Henry understands that theater is a privilege and that school is a priority,” says mom Katie Constable. “We require him to keep his grades at a standard in order to stay in theater. Acting and performing are so motivating that his grades are actually excelling this year.”

 

Isabelle Erhart

Age: 12

School: Minnetonka Middle School East

Hometown: Shorewood

 

In Isabelle Erhart’s first show—a Minnetonka Theatre production in third grade—she earned a tiny part. “If you blinked, you missed her,” laughs mom Corinne Erhart. “But it’s contagious to her; she loved it.” 

 

“I’ve learned that you just have to keep trying, no matter what,” says Isabelle. “Even if you get an ensemble role, it’s really fun to even be in a play. I just love performing on stage.” She did keep trying, and recently landed the role of Jane Banks in Chanhassen Dinner Theatres’ Mary Poppins. Because Corinne and husband Chris don’t have a background in theater, it’s been a bit of a learning curve for the Erharts to have an actress in the house. 

 

Corinne notes that it’s tough to keep up the extracurricular involvement that acting requires while staying on top of schoolwork, but says Isabelle is disciplined and motivated by her love of the stage. Isabelle continues to train in dance through Deanne’s Dance Studio in Minnetonka, but her instructors and team are supportive of her busy schedule. The rehearsal schedules are grueling, with six days a week usually spoken for. “The actual shows,” she says, “are easy and fun by comparison!” That’s a relief, because Mary Poppins runs for six months straight. 

 

The energy and camaraderie formed by a cast are what drew Isabelle in and keep her going. “The curtain call at the end—that adrenaline is there. They all just glow,” says Corinne. 

 

Minnetonka’s Thriving Theater Scene

 

“Sometimes I look at some of these students, and I think, ‘Look at what we’ve done,’ ” says Trent Boyum, Minnetonka Theatre artistic director, and mentor and friend to several of the kids profiled here. Four years ago, he was asked to develop an elementary theater program. Knowing that schools across the country were facing budget cuts—many of which disproportionately affected the arts—he knew he needed to find a way to introduce the new program while being fiscally responsible.

 

So all six Minnetonka elementary schools do the same musical each year. By sharing scripts, costumes and sets—designed by pros brought in from Sesame Street Live—and by charging for tickets, the schools are able to put on outstanding musicals at a super-reasonable cost. Volunteers sweep in each week to launder the costumes—made of forgiving materials that fit kids on both ends of their growth spurt—between runs.

 

Boyum has been approached by a number of schools (one as far away as Australia) asking him to help replicate the model elsewhere. But he says his commitment is first and foremost to his students. “This is 100 percent my baby,” he says. Nearly 250 kids—about 20 percent of all Minnetonka fourth- and fifth-graders—participate in the after-school Minnetonka Elementary musical program.

 

“Now we have these big-name theaters looking at our kids… and not only are they getting into the choruses, they’re getting starring roles,” says Boyum.

 

Casting Call

 

So what’s it like for a theater to incorporate kids into a professional cast? Chanhassen Dinner Theatres resident and artistic director Michael Brindisi says kids add a fun element to a production. “I love to cast children in my shows and often add children to a script that doesn’t call for them. In the case of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair, for example, there were no children in the script. How weird is that—that you would go to a fair and not see children?” says Brindisi. “So we added a bunch. We try to incorporate children where it makes good sense, and people love to see children in a production.”

 

But casting kids isn’t always easy. He notes that there are practical considerations to make when selecting the right person for a role. “When the role calls for a 6-year-old, I nearly always cast an older child, maybe a 9-year-old who is small in stature. That way they look 6, but have the maturity level of an older child,” says Brindisi. “This is a serious business, so we are looking for a child who is mature, respectful—a quick learner. The kids can’t hold the process back.”

 

Theaters routinely double-cast so that younger actors can split responsibilities for longer-running plays, and at Chanhassen, children receive weekly paychecks just like their adult counterparts. “Much is expected of them, and by the end of a run, they can have a nice little start on their college savings plan,” says Brindisi. “Our cast members—many of them parents themselves—welcome the children. It’s a home-like, warm environment, and the children are treated well, but also as professional equals.”

 

See Them in Action

 

Egad! Nate Turcotte and Henry Constable are part of the Guthrie’s Music Man production, from June 20 to August 23. Tickets $34-86; guthrietheatre.org

 

Jay Soulen and Isabelle Erhart play siblings Michael and Jane Banks in Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s Mary Poppins, through August 2015. Tickets $62-84, chanhassendt.com