BWW Interviews: BCT's Luke Hamilton, Jake Volke, and Colton Berry Talk bctEDU and FOOTLOOSE

I talked to Bayou City Theatrics' Luke Hamilton, Jane Volke, and Colton Berry about the BctEDU program and the company's foray into the tiny town of FOOTLOOSE. I think there will be some dancing involved.

BWW: How did bctEDU come about?

Colton Berry: Jane, Luke, and I all have extensive backgrounds in education. We have also been teaching private voice and acting (me), dance (Luke), and piano (Jane) for many years. We always hoped that once we had a permanent venue, we could open an education program. Upon moving into The Kaleidoscope, we took the "no time like the present" approach and began creating bctEDU.

BWW: What do each of you contribute in ethos to the school?

Colton Berry: Luke and I teach private sessions in addition to directing and choreographing our bctEDU "Immersion" productions. Jane serves as music director. Seeing as the primary goal of the Immersion Series is to have students approach the world of professional theatre from the perspective of a professional, it was our goal to keep our positions on the creative staff similar to the ones we serve with our MainStage productions.

Luke Hamilton: Our goal as educators within our bctEDU program is to give students cohesive training in acting, singing and dancing without compartmentalizing the art forms as separate entities.

BWW: What is your approach to theatre education? How do you structure your courses?

Colton Berry: A lot of bctEDU programming centers around setting and achieving goals on an individual and ensemble basis. We approach the students individually and create a goal-set for them; short-term and long-term. From here, we cater our programming and teaching to suit both individual students and ensembles of students - which we believe creates a higher success rate. We take this approach in private lessons and coaching, masterclasses, the Immersion Series and our upcoming 48-Hour Theatre Project.

BWW: What is the Immersion Series?

Colton Berry: The Immersion Series is a very exciting approach to theatre education. Students enroll in a series of workshops that utilize the source material (in this case, Footloose) as a teaching tool, working hands-on with the BCT creative staff through a myriad of subjects (character building, sight reading and theory, dance conditioning, vocal health, etc). Students are exposed to the exact skill-set it takes to become a professional performer in the musical theatre industry. After these workshops, students are offered the opportunity to audition for roles in an "Immersion" production that utilizes both youth performers and professional adults. Once cast, the students are taken through the rehearsal, production and performance process of a professional musical, with their adult cast-mates as mentors.

BWW: Why did you choose Footloose as your first bctEDU production?

Colton Berry: I am tired of companies producing only the squeakiest clean musicals for children. I am tired of companies watering down edgy musicals to suit children. If we are trying to expose our students to the "real-world" of theater, why not choose a piece that is both challenging and appropriate? That's what we found in FOOTLOOSE. The characters are students. The topics discussed are heavier and edgier than "Dear Edwina." They are also topics that students face, discuss and live on a day-to-day basis. The subject matter is real for them. The music is challenging, but pop/rock and fun. Totally accessible for our students. It was the perfect choice.

Luke Hamilton: Footloose is a wonderful opportunity to impart to the students that the dancing that happens must be motivated and inspired - this is not one of those musicals where dance numbers magically happen out of nowhere. The script comments on the inclusion of dance as part of the plot. In Footloose specifically, none of the dancers are supposed to be trained, as dancing has been illegal for quite some time. This musical makes it clear where the dancing is coming from and why. The kids are supposed to dance out of joy and for fun.

BWW: What do you imagine to be the difference between your student-led productions and your professionally-led productions?

Colton Berry: The largest difference is the rehearsal process. Students who are learning need a bit more time to develop and grow. In our professional rehearsal processes, things move much quicker. Other than that, with the students we've been working with of late, things are just about the same. We've landed some very talented and professional students.

BWW: Kevin Bacon's Footloose dance is iconic. What can Footloose movie lovers expect from the stage play?

Colton Berry: The stage play is a translation of the film. There are some iconic visuals and sounds, but we are definitely offered the opportunity to learn a bit more about the characters from the stage play. The biggest similarity is the music, only this time it's sung live and that's always more fun!

BWW: This piece is heavily associated with dance. Is that intimidating?

Luke Hamilton: If I know the creation process for the choreography of a show will be challenging or will require excessive thought and deliberation (and many times, very little sleep), I find myself excited and eager to tackle the project.

BWW: What ideas do you have dance-wise?

Luke Hamilton: The choreography is free, it's loose (but still clean and sharp), and it's definitely packed full of 80's style and flair. One of our biggest goals in the Immersion Series is to hold our students to an adult expectation, and they are certainly rising to the occasion.

BWW: Jane, can you tell me how it will sound?

Jane Volke: There are several students in the production that have been studying voice privately with Colton and one who has been a student of ours for 5 years. They've had really great training. Although they are younger than BCT's typical performers, they still have some seriously powerful voices! As with each facet of the production, a little extra time was needed to learn the music, teach parts, work through the harmonies, perfect their blend, etc. I approached teaching the music the same way I approach teaching our full adult casts: start with the large ensemble pieces and really make sure those are solid and then move on to the smaller group/solo pieces. I'm super proud of the students for the way they handled the material!

BWW: As always Colton, tell me how it will look. What is your directorial (and I assume set and costume design) approach?

Colton Berry: We're going full throttle 1980's with the show. (A lot of companies set the show in a modern landscape, similar to the newer film incarnation.) Expect fast-paced imagery, teased hair, lamé, piano ties, neons, shoulder pads, fishnet. [Laughs] I think you get the picture.

My directorial approach was to create a raw, real atmosphere for the actors that suddenly transforms into an MTV music video when the emotions get "too heavy to handle." Kind of a dichotomy of brain-interior of every 80's kid.

BWW: Can you share some of the advice you give your students with me and BWW readers?

Luke Hamilton: My advice to my dance students beyond actual dance technique includes three major points: work ethic, individuality and passion. I encourage them to work as hard as they possibly can to improve their technique and grow as dancers. I remind them that when they are sitting around spending hours goofing off, someone in the world used that time to work on their craft and became a step closer to success.

I stress the importance of individuality because there is a time and a place to blend, and there's also a time to have a signature flair and style that is uniquely your own. I ask them - "What makes people want to watch you? What keeps people from taking their eyes off of you?"

In regards to passion, I repeatedly say "if you don't care about what you're doing, neither will the audience." I take that even further by encouraging that every cell in their bodies be buzzing with energy when they are on a stage, even during moments of stillness.

Jane Volke: That's nearly an impossible question to answer! It depends on the student and their individual needs. Often times someone may be asked to portray a role that is vocally quite different (from a character perspective) and that may stretch his/her range or require a different technique than their natural voice. When facing this situation, I encourage my students to ask lots of questions, try many different techniques and options until they find the one that works best for that person portraying that particular character. And continually ask themselves, "Why?"

Colton Berry: I find myself repeating over and over again, "Think about the 'why.'" I think that's been a definite thematic element to this semester's production of FOOTLOOSE and some good advice to any person involved in theatre (from actors to designers to directors). If you can't clearly define why you're doing (or saying, or dancing, or singing) something, it isn't authentic and probably isn't helpful in any capacity.

Jane Volke: Rehearsal is the place to experiment and play before the curtain goes up on opening night. "Why is it important that my character deliver this song in this way? Why must my tone be in this specific style?"

Colton Berry: With a Why answered, you are fully freed as a performer and as a person.

Performances of FOOTLOOSE are on Friday & Saturday evenings, November 7/8 and 14/15 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons, November 9/16 at 5:00 pm. General Admission tickets to the performance are $30 and available in advance at www.BayouCityTheatrics.com. Tickets are available at the door, although BCT encourages advance purchase to secure seating in their intimate venue. The Kaleidoscope is located at 705 Main at Capitol, Suite B. Convenient cash parking is available less than one block from the theater at the SAKS' Garage on the corner of Capitol and Fannin.

Logo and poster artwork courtesy of Jane Volke, Bayou City Theatrics