I was lucky enough to attend the Brooklyn Acting Lab‘s rendition of “Into The Woods” a couple of weeks ago, and not only was I (a really hard sell) transfixed with joy and admiration to the stage, but my almost five year-old daughter was also sucked in- and she’s only been to the theater a couple of times before and whispered begging to leave both other times. Not here! The performance had a charm, an identity, an old-fashioned, hard working approach to theater involving kids that is rare now. You could feel their rehearsals, their blood, sweat, and tears. You could feel their excitement. And the costumes were so great. Like, they reminded me of the theater scenes in Moonrise Kingdom level of childrens’ costuming. The whole thing left the viewer with a reverence for childhood, and all of its potential. I just had to reach out to Kristen Lynch, Brooklyn Acting Lab’s co-founder, to learn more for all of us parents here in Brooklyn. You will thank me for sharing this amazing organization with you…. They have a great summer program too.
“In addition to in-house programs, BAL partners with schools and community based organizations to provide arts-in-education programming, performances, and events, collaborating across the performing arts in order to exchange work and ideas with artists nationally and internationally.”
Here is my interview with BAL’s co-founder Kristen Lynch:
Can you tell me a little bit about the Brooklyn Acting Lab, and how you got involved?
In 2011, my partner Murat Ozcan and I established the not-for-profit Brooklyn Acting Lab. We had already been offering youth theater programs as Young Players Theater, which was created in 2007. Our goal was to connect the youth classes with the larger vision we had been dreaming about….a comprehensive theatre training program in Brooklyn for youth and adults; a theatre company creating innovative work reflecting Brooklyn’s diverse global community. We love the word Lab because an essential part of the work, is creating a safe space where we can come to together an explore freely, make observations and discoveries, and experiment. The process of creating theatre is equally important to us as the product, the final performance or share with an audience. It is in creating the theatre that we come together and ask questions about who we are as individuals and then who we are together, as a community.
Brooklyn is our hub. It is a place we love to live and create. Brooklyn is a small universe, where people from all over the world come to live, and co-exist. Brooklyn Acting Lab’s goal is create work that brings these communities together, gives them an opportunity to see each other, to mirror each other, to respect our differences and celebrate our universal humanity. We are all connected. Today Brooklyn is a global brand. But the Brooklyn we know and love is not always included in the “ brand story”. We are interested in sharing the stories of the people coming to Brooklyn with dreams, and those who are fighting to stay to make their dreams come true. Those who have been here for generations and others who are fresh to the scene. Stories of past, present, and future. There is so much to share.
The re-brand of BAL from Young Players Theatre was a year-long process. We worked with Creative Director, Tet Marti, who took us on a thoughtful journey; thinking about who we are as an organization today and how we plan to grow in the future. He designed a logo for BAL and created a visual identity for us. In May 2015, we announced Brooklyn Acting Lab to our community.
It is an exciting time for Brooklyn Acting Lab, building on what we had created under Young Players Theater, and developing new and interesting programming for all ages in the future.
I saw the production of “Into The Woods Jr.”- can you tell me how you pulled that off? It seemed so involved and so advanced- yet the kids were completely into their characters and at ease.
Into the Woods Jr. was our second main stage musical performed by 27 young actors ranging in age from 7-12 years old. Many of the kids had been a part of our first mainstage Annie Jr. performed in May 2015. Our work in ensemble-based and focused on building community. They are developing theatre-making and performance skills, and also learning how to collaborate and be a part of a theatre company. From the very first rehearsal we establish our agreement to be kind and respectful to each other. We create a safe space and make sure they know they are going to be supported through the process by their directors and peers. I think once we establish that sense of trust and respect, we can really do anything.
Also, our production team works collaboratively. Within rehearsal we strive to model for the young actors how we can create together. Everyone has a voice in the process, the directors, music director, assistant directors, stage manger, designers, interns, and actors.
The rehearsal studio is bustling with energy and imaginative ideas. We give the young actors to the time and space to build their characters and share their ideas about how we can best tell the story.
Do you hold auditions, or how do the kids stumble upon their parts?
We do not hold auditions. The kids sign up to be a part of the program. This class is called Junior Musical Ensemble and is open to 1st through 5th graders. The Musical Ensemble is open to 6th through 9th graders. This season we are doing Seussical Jr. with the Jr. Musical Ensemble and Little Mermaid Jr. with the Musical Ensemble. Both will go up in June.
The first two weeks of rehearsals we play theatre games, sing, dance and get to know each other. The production team casts the show and we make sure that every child has an opportunity to grow and shine in their role!
How many kids are typically in a production?
20-30
Where do the productions usually happen?
The shows happen in February and June at the Actors Fund Arts Center in Brooklyn. We love working there. It is a wonderful performance space.
How long do you have to rehearse a show like Into The Woods?
We rehearsed twice a week from October through January. The show went up the first week of February.
What skills do you think you have had to hone as a teaching artist in order to make productions amazing and magical?
I think you need to respect the voices and imaginations of the actors. You need to have a vision and be prepared, but be ready to let it go. The kids have so much to give and share, and we are there to serve and guide them. I love working with teaching artists who trust themselves and are able to let go of the need to control, and are able to be open to an exchange and collaboration with the ensemble of kids. I think when that happens, it is magical!
Tell us your thoughts on kids and musicals…
Musicals are so much fun. They are celebrations. I think that incorporating music, song, dance, and storytelling is a way to engage kids and audiences on so many levels.
Kristen Lynch is the Founder and Director of Brooklyn Acting Lab. Born and raised in New York, Kristen grew up dancing and performing theatre. She holds a BFA in Theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She studied theater in London. Before that she attended LaGuardia HS. Kristen has been performing and producing off-Broadway theater for the past … years. From 2000-2004 Kristen produced and curated the NYC French Short Film Festival on the Lower East Side. –Kristen has been teaching theater to children since 20… She started out as a teaching artist at New York’s TADA! Reader’s Theater Workshop, and Young Audiences NY. Kristen Assistant Directed “Read to Me,” an, intergenerational reading program for babies and toddlers. While living in Paris with her husband, Kristen created The English Theater Workshop using theater as a tool to teach English and then brought the program to New York city and continued working with students of all ages.
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Rebecca Conroy is an artist, stylist, and Editor of A Child Grows in Brooklyn. She is from New York City, and has an MFA from Columbia University in screenwriting. Rebecca often finds herself on film and photography sets making things run or look better, and is the mom of two outrageously wonderful kids.
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