E Pluribus Unum: Young Company

By Susie Robinson

With actor training at the heart of what we do, First Stage prides itself with having one of the nation’s largest high-impact theater training for students in grades K3-12. Our Theater Academy has something for every stage along the actor’s journey—from early actors all the way to those who are mastering the craft.

At the pinnacle of First Stage’s actor training is Young Company—the Theater Academy’s award-winning and nationally recognized training program for advanced high school actors. Accepted students complete college-level training in Voice, Movement, Viewpoints, and Shakespeare as well as electives ranging from Auditioning to Stage Combat to Dialects. Young Company hosts master classes with guest artists and travels across the nation each fall to compete in the Utah Shakespeare Festival High School Acting Competition—where they have won numerous awards.

Young Company also performs two to three productions as part of First Stage’s professional theater season. Presented at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, Young Company’s productions are actor-focused and intentionally elemental—utilizing simple costumes, rehearsal furniture and limited props—as they bring to life classical works and the best of modern drama.

Young Company's world premiere production of GIRLS IN THE BOAT

First Stage took a moment to talk with Young Company member, Kayla Salter, who recently performed in Young Company's world premiere production of GIRLS IN THE BOAT by Alice Austen.

What was your favorite part about being in the world premiere production of GIRLS IN THE BOAT?

“Being part of a premiere play was really an experience of a lifetime. One of my favorite parts of being in any production is creating my version of a character, but in GIRLS IN THE BOAT, I was able to create the character of Bow from the ground up with no other versions to compare to. Taking the words of the play and the history behind it, I had a blast finding all of Bow’s habits and mannerisms, from the way she stood to the way she picked at her calluses when she was nervous.”

Kayla Salter (pictured right) in GIRLS IN THE BOAT

What was it like being in a world premiere play?

“Having the experience of working with the playwright, Alice Austen, to create this world premiere production taught me a lot about the early stages of plays that most actors are not always exposed to. Having been a part of the original staged reading last May, I read the first draft of the play, getting new pages and words right up until the reading. Through this experience, I got to witness firsthand how important every single word is to the overall story. The change from a simple ‘don’t’ to ‘do not’ is a conscious choice made by the playwright, written that way for a very specific reason. It showed me how important it is to memorize and say the words exactly as written.”

In your opinion, what is the most important message from the story of GIRLS IN THE BOAT?

“Being a part of GIRLS IN THE BOAT was an experience I will always cherish. I have so much respect for all of the women that were a part of creating this show, from Alice, to our incredible director Marcella Kearns, to the almost entirely female cast and crew, to every single woman in the world who inspired this play. I strongly believe in the message of this play, but I do not think that it is geared solely towards women. GIRLS IN THE BOAT, although about a team of women fighting for equal rights, was a story about rowers who just wanted to compete and do the thing they loved. Female or otherwise, this show spread the message that anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it. A lot can be accomplished individually, but if every person puts their individual talents together and works as a team, anything is possible.”

Make sure to catch Young Company’s next production March 8-24, 2019: AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare.