Between three leading roles these South Jersey teens have performed more than 30 plays
There is no lack of theater experience at Main Stage Center for the Arts. Each summer, the Summer Stage Performing Arts Camp hosts South Jersey teens who have a passion for theater. This year, nealy 210 children are spending seven weeks in theater camp and are split into three casts of 70.
Lindsay Deal, 23, of Blackwood is in her second year at the camp as a director. A recent graduate of Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa., Deal received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.
Deal is currently preparing her group of young actors for three performances of “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” in mid-July.
While her title is director, she said during the seven weeks of rehearsal she is directing 50 percent of the time while using every moment to educate the kids about theater.
“I want them to learn how to tell a story comfortably and engage with an audience,” Deal said.
Deal took a directing class during her junior year of college and discovered an affinity for the job and a love of children. Deal has directed multiple plays at Summer Stage and other venues and cherishes the growth each child experiences under her guidance.
“I think with kids it is rewarding when they go from being unsure of themselves to confident in what they are doing,” she said.
The leads in “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” are young but have a fair amount of experience.
Stephanie Masapollo, 15, of Washington Township is readying herself to play Ariel. Masapollo has participated in nearly 15 shows in her life, many at Main Stage Center of the Arts and in the Washington Township Public School District, where she is about to enter her junior year.
“I can’t wait for everyone to see how much hard work that cast has put in,” she said.
Of her own role, Masapollo said, “It is nerve-wracking, but I am really excited. I can’t wait to perform.”
While every script has its intricacies, “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” challenges actors to convince the audience what they are watching is taking place underwater.
“It makes [performing] more difficult, but Lindsay has taught us how to move,” Masapollo said, adding that slow, circular arm movements are key to the performance.
Alex Brasburger, a 13-year-old from Sicklerville who is playing Flounder, Ariel’s best friend, said the underwater aspect was challenging in the beginning. However, she is not all that worried.
“Now that we’ve rehearsed a lot, it feels natural,” she said. At the young age 13, Brasburger has performed in close to six plays, she said. The role of Flounder is her first “big role” at Summer Stage.
John Koza, 15, of Mantua, is playing Prince Eric. Like Masapollo, Koza has performed many shows at Main Stage and also in school drama programs, including at Gloucester County Institute of Technology, where he is about to enter his sophomore year.
Theater is something more than just a hobby for Koza. He feels the theater camp is a place of camaraderie.
“I like the people here. All of us have the same mindset, and I like being surrounded by people with the same interests,” he said.
Koza further described Summer Stage as a “judge-free zone” and a place where everyone is accepted.”
Excited for his role as Prince Eric, Koza is only nervous about some of the solo songs he must sing. He said he has to practice every day to hit some of the higher notes.
As the first performance approaches, Deal feels her cast is ready for the big show and they have all learned what she thinks is most important: “The job of an actor is a gift because you have the power to change people’s minds and tell a story and make voices heard that are sometimes unheard.”
The first performance is 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 11 followed by 7:30 p.m., July 12 and 10:30 a.m. July 13.
Tickets are available at https://mainstage.secure.force.com/ticket/#details_a0O0G00000T8UN3UAN. Online sales end two hours prior to the show. Tickets are available at the door only after online sales end.
