FINE ARTS A LOVE FOR MUSICAL THEATRE

Mrs. Burns gives us an inside look at her life in New York City, her love for musical theatre, her favorite moments with PA students, and how she chooses a play or musical for students to perform.

Interviewed, Written, and Edited by Andrea Loy

What brought you to PA?

In 2018, I moved back to my hometown of Bristol from New York City. I lived there for 4.5 years, studying theatre, performing, working a variety of jobs, and trying to break into show business. In the middle of 2017, I felt the Lord tugging at my heart to move back home. When I got here, I talked with Jamin Rathbun of Trinity Arts Center, and interviewed for a potential job, but TAC did not have a position open. Mr. Rathbun knew Jerry Williams, the head of PA at that time. So he made a connection with Jerry Williams about me. PA then called asking me to interview for the chorus and theatre job….It was a big blessing to me because at that point I still was not sure what God had for me or why I had moved back home. God made it clear that He had opened the door for me here, and He had been preparing me to fill this role while in NYC. I had a passion for musical theatre, and my education in NYC at the CAP 21 Conservatory trained me in acting, dancing, and choreography. CAP 21 was primarily an intensive program to prepare its students to break into the business. Many teachers taught there during the day and performed on Broadway at night! My previous work experience was in teaching chorus in a public high school, and I had a music degree from Furman, so gathering these skills was essential to prepare me for running the musical theatre program at PA. It’s neat to see how God used this experience in my life to help me in my role here.

What was your favorite class at CAP 21?

Musical Scene Study. We got to partner up with students and perform scenes from popular classic musicals; Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, etc. One aspect I love about musical theatre is that it’s a true American art form. Musical theatre specifically combines a play with song and dance, and while similar to opera, it is not opera. It is unique, not coming to us from another country.

Were you familiar with classical education before teaching at PA?

No, my first teaching job out of college was in a public school. I have had many great mentors here and have grown very comfortable with the model. It incorporates naturally into music and theatre classes as the arts are essential to a classical education.

What is one of your favorite moments or experiences from your work here?

My first year here, there was a student who decided to take chorus and drama for the very first time as a Senior. Seeing the Lord reveal his talents to him in the arts was so wonderful. The change in him was significant, especially for those teachers who had watched him grow up here at PA as a talented athlete and a somewhat quiet person. He was cast as Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. He became an artist and a powerful leader in the production. I could see how the Lord used that experience in his life to build confidence in himself. Seeing how the Lord led him to try something new and then meet him there in that experience was really wonderful. Many students who feel they need more confidence or competence in the academic classroom come into an art classroom and find their place. I love that they have a place to pursue the gifts and talents God has given them. The Lord gives us all different gifts and skills, and I love that the program here can be that space.

Another exceptional way the Lord has worked here is that we have a unique camaraderie and atmosphere of support. Experienced students are always welcoming to new ones. To have the older students mentor and welcome the younger or newer students instills a lot of confidence in them and is a form of discipleship that makes students want to keep coming back and participating in our productions. One year, the star basketball players decided to come out. They were shocked at the warm and welcoming reception they got. It is more valuable to me that we have a great God-honoring community that builds others up than the most talented performers or best show in town.

Tell us about where the program is at now and where you see it going in the future.

Our student population has continued to grow. We had 24 students in our HS play this winter, and for the musical, we have 47 cast members and three stage managers. That is 50 students involved in this production, not including the light and sound team, who will come in at the end. This is the largest group of students we have ever had involved. In my first year, we had around 28-30 in the musical. That was the highest turnout PA had ever had. The program has consistently grown every year since. I am glad we have a place for all these students to be on a stage. We have continued to grow our program by adding more than one production per year and now adding elementary and MS productions to build our program as well. This allows more students to be on stage and develop skills and theatre interests at an earlier age.

We added a Set Design and Production class to our school this year. We want to improve the quality of the sets and props so that we can perform with excellence. I create as close to a professional environment as possible to give them that experience and prepare them for life.

A donor recently allowed us to add a new sound system and lights. We are so grateful for this much-needed improvement!

Do you have any needs for the future of the program?

We are so big now that there really isn’t enough room on our stage. We are praying and hoping that the Lord will open the door and provide for a fine arts facility. A more extensive facility would allow for more students on stage and a separate practice facility that does not have to be shared around the athletic schedule. We often hold rehearsals in the cafeteria. Sharing the cafeteria means blocking, and choreography must be adjusted when moving to the main stage. A facility to match the professionalism already happening in these students would be a big deal.

We currently have a storage unit for costumes and props off campus and no separate space for set design and painting. Having this space adjacent to the main stage would be ideal. The maintenance team carries a more significant burden right now in moving items around for us and transporting them from storage. We are so grateful to them, and we hope this can be alleviated by having a storage space for costumes and props in a new facility as well.

What criteria do you look for when you pick out a play or musical for PA?

I look at what the major themes and message of the story are. Can they be reflective of God’s truth, beauty, and goodness? I look at these pretty closely. Can we learn something about God and His character through performing these shows? It doesn’t mean we only do shows that are Christian. Beauty & The Beast and The Music Man are both stories with a redemption arc for the characters. Seeing repentance over wrongdoing in characters is seeing how the gospel works out when God calls us to repent of our sins. When looking at a play or musical, I often ask, are there moments or characters in the show to which we can relate biblical truth? If the show promotes worldly or unbiblical values, we don’t do them. I know the students involved will be impacted by these things. Playing a character is different from just reading about them in a book.

Tell us about Newsies and why you chose it for the spring musical.

Newsies emerged in the early 1990s as a Disney movie starring Christian Bale before he became famous.

Around 2011-12, they took it and wrote it for the stage, and it became a smash hit on Broadway. It’s based on the Newsboys strike that happened around the turn of the century, which affected child labor laws.

In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about "what you did for the least of these you did for me." I spoke with the students about this. We discussed how God calls the church to be at the forefront of helping people in need. That’s what this story is about. These children who are working for little pay are being treated as sub-human. Some of the orphans in the story are stuck in a terrible place and are being mistreated. The story brings light to this situation. The Lord calls us to help people who are in need. God is a God of justice and uses the church to accomplish this. This is the central theme I loved about the musical.

When I choose shows, I find ones that will showcase students' strengths that are currently in our program. Auditions are, of course, open to everyone, but you always know some of the kids who will be participating. This year, we have so many strong dancers. Many of our students were involved in cheer, so I knew we could showcase their dancing skills with Newsies while giving them a lot of on-stage time.

Anything else to share?

Families at PA, please come out and see our production. We benefit from your support of watching us. Bring your extended family and friends. Newsies is a really fun show to watch. Word of mouth is stronger than putting out posters or social media posts. Tell your family and friends that it will be great and invite them. God may use that to bless our program now and in the future.