BWW Blog: Meet High School Junior, Parker Hughes - What Is an Ensemble, Anyway?

"... That's not what an ensemble is," said Kyle, my student music director. He wasn't talking about anything particularly profound, he was just pointing out that a company that doesn't blend and cut off together isn't what we need to be. But it got me thinking... What is an ensemble?

I mean, I know what an ensemble is, but I'm looking a little deeper. Too often I've realized even when I am a part of an ensemble, as I am in Ghost, I'm yet again too focused on only myself. I know I'm not the only one, either. Am I singing the best, am I making good faces, do I know all my dance moves, etc, etc... What if I stopped every once in a while and looked at those around me? If a cast mate is struggling with a dance move, would it not be right that I reach out to them? Kindly pointing out a flat note in a fellow alto could save an ego or two, and running lines with someone who could use a hand will only make our show greater in the end.

My director often tells us that we're only as strong as our weakest member. I've had many directors say that, in fact, and I wonder sometimes who they are addressing. Are they telling our weakest to work harder? Should we all assume we are the weakest member, and work harder? Or should the ensemble support their weakest player until they are the greatest? When you put on a high school show, you get a handful of hormone-fueled drama to come with it. "So-and-so doesn't deserve the lead! They don't work hard enough and they aren't even that good!" Ridiculing cast mates kind of feels life betting all of your life savings on a race horse, and then breaking that horse's legs.

You can't fix a hole by hitting it with hammers. When actors go after their cast mates armed with mean comments, they only pull that player down further. If we are only going to perform as strongly as the weakest among, our weakest has to be the best they can be. When teens are ridiculed, they can start to believe that they can't get better, and they shouldn't try. Is it really so crazy to believe that an ensemble is more than the company, the chorus, and the dancers? The ensemble is like the Borg from Star Trek, but less freaky. A great ensemble should be connected through and through, as one heart and one voice. They should think as one, with an insanely tight knit group mind. Most importantly, though, they should help and support one another. I think that is what's going to make Ghost and any other show I'm in go the extra mile in terms of excellence.

In high school, it's so easy to let petty feelings and insecurities seep into theatre and poison the beauty that comes from performing a show. Without jealousy, every person would be rooting for every other person. The leads are pulling for their ensemble, who support one another and help those who need help. And while that perfect cast, free of drama and qualms, may seem impossible, the first step towards that goal is to focus a little less on yourself... and a lot more on those around you. Cheer for your cast mates. Notice when they're struggling and how to help them. Watch as your kindness makes your weakest, most off-key, rhythm deprived, laziest cast member soar to new heights when they finally feel like someone thinks they can do it. Like Kyle said, not intentionally, a good ensemble blends. Not just with voices, but with energies and personalities. I see an ensemble as being like the big honking super robot from Power Rangers, where each ranger controls one limb, and they have to be in perfect sync to make this hulking multi-colored tin can destroy bad guys. Essentially, a great ensemble is a Power Ranger robot; a product of teamwork, in sync, powerful, and fun to look at.

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