聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle's Sydney Flynn was 鈥淒rawn To Broadway鈥� this summer after successfully auditioning for the Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) performing arts camp of the same name in Rollins, Montana. Flynn, 14, joined young performers from throughout Western Canada and the U.S., as they participated in a two-week program which focused primarily on two musical theatre elements-vocal performance and dance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Flynn-already a veteran performer- has appeared in Carlyle's annual Dickens Festival productions, Carlyle school Junior Drama Club performances, and has competed in regional drama festivals. She says her summers at MCT camps have increased her confidence on stage and off, adding: 鈥淚t's a really encouraging atmosphere there. We're all working toward a common goal and helping each other succeed-and learning a lot.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Flynn has attended MCT's camps since she was eleven. She was first invited to audition for a coveted spot at the camp after being spotted during MCT's annual visit to schools in Carlyle conducting drama workshops.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he first time, I was invited to audition,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 had to do a two-minute song, a monologue and bring two letters of recommendation. The second year, I was invited back without having to audition and this year, I had to audition again.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽This year, I did a monologue and sang 'Don't Rain on My Parade.' I just used piano accompaniment from my iPad. Musicals are one of my favourite things and this year's camp focused a lot on Broadway, so I learned a lot and had fun doing that. But I always do at camp.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Flynn's interest in drama and performance 鈥渟tarted in Grade One. MCT came to school here in Carlyle and I had a lot of fun,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter a few years on stage, one year, I decided to be in the audience because I wanted to find out what that felt like. But I soon realized, I wanted to be on stage, performing.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I was a little kid, Linda Coffey asked my mom if I could be in the Dickens play that's put on every year here in Carlyle. I went and I've been in a few since then,鈥� she smiles. 鈥淚 really like being onstage.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 Along with Carlyle's Linda Coffey, Flynn credits local teachers Thomas Broccolo and Justine Kyle for fostering her interest in dramatic performance. 鈥淲ith Drama Club, Mr. Broccolo and Mrs. Kyle always help us pick plays. We look at scripts together and they work with us through every step. They're really helpful and encouraging.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith our school's drama program-and with things like Missoula Children's Theatre coming here every year-I really encourage anyone who's interested to come and do drama. With the lights, you really can't see anybody in the audience and with performing, my confidence grew.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓very time I go onstage, I still get butterflies. But that's pretty common, and partly because of excitement, too. And when the audience appreciates what you've done, that's a great feeling.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's the same with festivals, when there's an adjudicator there instead of an audience. They're there taking notes about the whole cast,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut with the lights, you don't really see them. It can seem stressful, but it really isn't, because they give you better ideas and you always learn something new.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Flynn says that even something that seems like an unfixable error can have a positive side, citing the example of a flawed performance during a drama competition.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淒uring a performance in front of the adjudicator, someone slipped and the performers lost pages of their lines. They recovered, and even then, the adjudicator said it was the best recovery by a junior group he's ever seen.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲orking your way through things like that and even performing on different stages in different places helps you to adapt and just roll with whatever,鈥� says Flynn. 鈥淚t's not just getting up in front of people and performing, it's also things like taking the same show to a different stage. In Carlyle, we've performed on the CES gym stage and in the (Carlyle) Memorial Hall. And this year in Montana, we rehearsed our final performance-songs from the musical 'Annie' and took our show to Missoula.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a bigger stage with different levels. We had to re-do our settings and marks, everything,鈥� adds Flynn. 鈥淏ut it helps you to adapt to different situations and know that whatever comes up, you can 聽聽do your best to handle it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Flynn-who is considering a career in pediatric nursing-says she plans to continue working with MCT 鈥渇or as long as I can.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 really want to continue with drama through high school,鈥� says Flynn, who is entering Grade Nine this year. 鈥淎nd I'd really like to thank my family a lot. They got me to camp, to performances, and they've really supported me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 want to go back to camp at MCT next year and I can continue to do that until the summer of Grade 12,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut this will be my last year to do Missoula here in Carlyle, but I'll continue to go to their performances here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's given me so much.鈥�
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