3 minute read
A Family That Plays Together
An interview with Travis & Emi Hensel
Q: How long have you been participating in PlayTime? Emi: I have been doing PlayTime since 2018. Travis: I have been doing PlayTime for about six years and have done about 10 different stories!
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Q: What is it like to perform together as a married couple? Emi: Travis and I grew close together while we were dating many years ago doing MHT's Story Theatre in schools, so it is really cool to get to relive performing together for kids now that we are married. Travis: Being married to my fellow PlayTime mate has been great...and very handy! We are able to rehearse together in the evenings and it is nice to be able to do something together at the theatre.
Q: What's your favorite PlayTime show you've done so far and why? Emi: Rapunzel has been my favorite show because I have fun tossing things to the prince from the tower. Travis: One of my favorite PlayTime stories has been The Emperor's New Clothes. While I love the story, I think what makes it my favorite is when I get to be the Emperor and come out in my "underwear"!
Q: Could you perform PlayTime in your sleep since you've been doing it so long? What makes it fun and exciting each time? Emi: The audience keeps us on our toes...you just never know what’s going to come out of a young audience member’s mouth! Travis: At this point, you would think it would take no thought to do our stories, but doing an audience participation show for a live audience of young kids means every show will be a little different. You never know how the audience will answer your questions or what suggestions they will shout out.
Q: How do you like the new outdoor format? Emi: I love doing PlayTime outside because I love the atmosphere of the new outdoor Courtyard space! Travis: I have really enjoyed moving PlayTime outside. I love the new space and it allows for more audience and more space for them to move around!
Q: How do you see PlayTime impact our other programming at MHT? Emi: I definitely see PlayTime audience members in DanceMHT classes and there’s already a trust built between me and young students that know me through PlayTime. Travis: PlayTime is a great doorway to many of our other programs at the theatre. I see many PlayTime audience members at every show and many of them show up in Footlights, DanceMHT classes, and summer camps. It is not unusual for me to be stopped at a grocery store because someone recognizes me as the wolf!
Q: Tell us about you guys! Emi: I am the Dance Program Director for DanceMHT. I’ve been involved with the theatre since I was 16 and began introducing dance classes at the theatre in 2015. I currently teach 17 of our 22 dance classes as well as provide choreography for many of our Theatre in Schools and Signature Series shows. I homeschool our four kids who are also involved in the theatre programming. Travis: I have been the Facilities Manager at MHT for almost seven years. I grew up doing shows at the theatre my whole childhood. My earliest memories are when I was three years old tagging along with my dad at a rehearsal. Now my kids get to follow along with me at my rehearsals and attend their own rehearsals. I am very proud to see my kids performing in their own shows and look forward to many more years of them performing here at the theatre.
