Youth
www.GilbertSunNews.com
October 2015
31
Mesquite student acts on dream in ‘Princess and the Pea’ BY JULIA DE SIMONE
Brittany Fleming is a quadruple threat. The Gilbert resident can sing, dance, tickle the ivories and, most importantly, act. Fleming will portray “Titiana,” a great witch, in an original adaptation of “The Princess and the Pea” at the East Valley Children’s Theatre (EVCT) in Mesa. The play runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St. “It’s a very funny take on the original,” Flemming said. “It has a fun little spin to it. There’s a lot more depth I want to say. It goes into more value than just sensitivity.” The Mesquite High School senior added that she also feels a bond between her and Titiana, the supporting character she portrays. “I would describe Titiana as a very ambitious, purposeful woman who has made some mistakes. She just feels the need to be loved, and we all have the desire to be loved so her struggles were enticing.” Although the 17-year-old has only been performing for a couple of years, Flemming caught the “acting bug” early on in her young life.
HUNTERS
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“I was 7 or 8 years old. I went to go see ‘Rush Hour’ and when the credits were running, they were showing take after take of the actors messing up. I just saw that they could be completely different people,” she said. “You get to experience a whole, different world when acting. It was a defining moment.” Another pivotal moment in Brittany’s young life was joining the award-winning EVCT. She has already acted in two other plays at the theater. “The things I do here are so unique; it’s different. It’s not the same thing you’ve seen 1,000 times. They’re so professional; it’s high quality shows,” she said. “The draw with this theater is that it’s welcoming to new people. They treat you like family. They are so good with kids. There’s no judgment. It’s a very nice place to just be yourself, and I haven’t experienced that with other theaters in the Valley.” But it’s not without hard work and sacrifices. In addition to attending high school, Fleming and her castmates devote approximately 16 hours weekly practicing lines to upcoming plays. She said her photographic memory helps when memorizing lines, but it’s still a juggling act.
JUMPERS
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“The Princess and the Pea” stars Tyler Briggs of Mesa as “Xander”; Rachel Primrose of Mesa as “Olivia”; and Brittany Fleming of Gilbert as “Titiana.” Photo courtesy of Penrod Photography
“It’s hard. It’s really hard. There are things you have to give up,” she stated. However, she refuses to give up on her dream of becoming a professional actress in the near future. She plans to attend community college and then transfer to a university in the California or New York area to master her acting skills. “If you want to get to that point, you have to be able to try. If it’s something you love to do, you should do it no matter what anyone said. Even though it
might hot happen, there’s still that silver lining that it could happen,” she said. “The Princess and the Pea” runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, at Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets are $15; $11 for students 17 and younger; free admission for lap children 2 and younger. For more information, call (480) 756-3828 or visit www.mesaartscenter.com.
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