Young Performers Form Bond at Conservatory

It's like scenes out of "Fame."

In one dance studio, a group of teens do their best version of "Stomp," beating out a rhythm to dance to with their feet. In the hallway, two teens practice dance moves to go with a song they'll be performing. In the stairwell, yet another teen is practicing reaching the high notes of a song.

It's just another day at the Paper Mill Playhouse's Summer Conservatory.

The conservatory is a five-week advanced professional theater performance program for "talented and motivated" young performing artists ages 10 to 18 years old. Those in the program identify themselves as performing artists and have decided to pursue the theater professionally in the future.

The program's 120 students, who auditioned earlier this year, are divded into three divisions. The senior division is comprised of 72 students ages 15 to 18 years old, junior-plus consists of 24 students ages 13 and 14 years old and the juniors are the 24 students  who are 10 to 12 years old.

Marisa Malanga, a North Caldwell resident who will be a sophomore at West Essex High School, has detailed her experience in her Seizing the Spotlight series.

Most of the program is held at Montclair State University, but the juniors work and practice each day at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. Each day students are in classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The classes include dance, acting, monologues and musical theater. They also have special skills classes on auditioning, callbacks and improvisation.

The students will tell you how they've evolved as performers over the years, especially in areas where they once were weak.

"You learn so much and you feel so professional," said Peter Surace, who is in the senior division. The Scotch Plains resident has been in the program for four years, starting in the junior-plus division.

Steven DelCol, a first-year student in the senior division from Westfield, said the teachers have helped him bring the character through in his performances.

"Before I was just performing," he said. "Now I think of myself in the character's shoes."

Erica Morreale, a second-year student in the senior division from Cranford, said two years ago she could only play parts where she was a little kid. But the teachers in the program made her step into other roles.

"I wouldn't have done that on my own and I would have stayed a 2-year-old," she said.

The final two hours of the day are devoted to rehearsing for the final performance for the program, New Voices, which over the years has included a number of names from film, television and theater, including Anne Hathaway. Each performance has a theme and this year's is "Pure Imagination," which focuses on fantasy worlds.

Once rehearsals start, the students are gathered together in their sections running through the performance. They'll gather around the piano to sing and act out their parts and soon they'll be spotting where they'll be singing, acting and dancing on the Paper Mill stage.

But the work for the New Voices performance also happens in their classes. Students will develop their moves for the final performance in dance class. The junior company works on their song together in class and they also work on skits they wrote for "sharing" when their parents will visit them at the playhouse.

And it's the concert many of the students will say is the best part of the conservatory experience. 

Rory Furey-King, a third-year student in the junior-plus division from Montclair, said tech week brings all of the students together at the Paper Mill Playhouse to run the show over and over. 

One theme every student speaks highly about when describing their favorite part of conservatory is the people, the relationships they forge and how much they learn from each other.

One of the big differences of this year's program, though, is how the students involved have changed. Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill education coordinator, said the group is usually comprised about evenly between new and returning performers. This year, however, two-thirds of the students are new.

The conservatory has done more than just teach these students, it's also fostered relationships.

"I love the people and hate being away from them," Surace said.

Teresa Wittleder, a third-year student from Millburn, said her peers from the program are her best friends.

"You meet friends you will keep forever," Furey-King pointed out.

"New Voices 2010: Pure Imagination" is scheduled for Friday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 31 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Single tickets range from $22.75 to $38.75.  Tickets may be purchased by calling 973-376-4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office or on its website.