`Gifts are as the gold which adorns the temple; grace is like the temple that sanctifies the gold.’ — William Burkitt.
There is no denying that the St. Charles teens who co-founded the elan Youth Theatre Ensemble are big-time gifted. Their production “Work In Progress: A Journey in Three Acts” was produced, written, scored, choreographed and directed entirely by the quartet of friends, the oldest of whom is all of 19 years.
But what is most impressive about Genevieve Bennett, Justin Jones, Ryan Pratt and Karen Robertson is the grace that supersedes even their creative genius. To these best friends, freedom to creatively express themselves and to feed off one another for ideas sparks genuine kindness, social consciousness and unbridled joie de vivre. And to be able to rely on one another’s friendship for support apparently brings out the very best each of them has to offer.
“One-two-three-up-and PAIN!”
At first glance, the rehearsal of elan’s up-and-coming production could be any old warmup for dancers in a theatrical production. But after the yoga stretches come the 10 Marine Corps-style pushups. And then the whole cast starts mooing like cows as they assume another yoga position. But it’s when one of the directors sits on the floor and asks the cast, now assembled in a circle, “What part do you guys think needs the most work?” that it becomes apparent that this is a theater company with directors who don’t play by the rules.
“This is the kind of direction and freedom we always wanted in the context of our own creativity,” said Bennett, one of the co-founders of elan.
Founded in 1995 by a group of high school friends, elan was designed to bring community theater opportunities to young actors, technicians and musicians in the St. Charles area. And although the teenage founders will be entering their second year of college in various parts of the country, they still managed to collaborate with one another throughout the past school year to come up with this year’s performance, their first original production.
Their two previous works were “Godspell,” performed in 1995 before six soldout audiences at the Baker Community Center in St. Charles, and “The Ones You Really Like,” seen in 1996 by 1,500 theatergoers at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles. Their former high school drama coach, Lana Jean Baker, declared both to be “productions that took incredible guts, particularly that second show. What it must have taken technically was just beyond me.”
A cast of 20 and an orchestra of 15 young people, ages 14-21, will be presenting “Work In Progress” at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, Aug. 14-17. The piece was inspired by Aaron Copland’s orchestral arrangement of the traditional Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts.”
“I was sitting at my computer doing homework,” said Bennett. “I was listening to this wonderful arrangement of `Simple Gifts.’ There’s this section with a huge crescendo that gives me goose bumps. I called Ryan and said, `What about “Simple Gifts” as a theme for a production?’ “
Coincidence nudged the two producers in that direction. “It just so happened,” said Pratt, “that I had just purchased the same arrangement and was listening to it when Genevieve called.”
During the next several months, and via the immediacy of e-mail, the production evolved. The show depicts the universal themes of life’s journey and growth, an individual’s relationship to self and relationship within a community.
“We’re doing a lot of experimental things in the show as far as music and dance,” said Bennett, “but our desire is to communicate a message. There’s a fine line nowadays in that some producers try to create an avant-garde format to confuse. We stayed away from anything that smacked of confusing.”
“A Work In Progress” was described by the elan production staff as “an interesting conglomeration of stuff.”
“The three acts do fit together, but they’re set up using a lot of different mediums,” said Pratt. The first act, a composition written by Pratt, is more operatic than American musical in style and is the retelling of the story of creation using orchestra and a narrative chorus.
Act II is a choreo-poem, a movement piece designed around poetry, using readers and dancers. It is the story of a universal child who travels the journey of self-discovery.
The final act showcases the work of choreographer Jones. “The dancers go through a similar journey that the child in the previous act has taken,” Jones said. “In the beginning they’re all traveling on the same line and never acknowledge each other’s presence. They later connect and start moving together, supporting each other as a community.”
The final piece in the show employs the lighting of candles to symbolize the unified light of the sun, along with pedestrian movements of dancers, accompanied by the sound of breathing.
“We want the last piece to be very sweaty and very human, arriving at a good place where each individual acknowledges the others,” said Bennett. “Each then enjoys the inner fulfillment from having run the good race. At the moment of arrival, we have `Simple Gifts.”‘
“I do not want to see you having to act!”
Twenty eager faces have now gathered around Bennett as rehearsal begins. “I want to see you reacting to however something feels to you,” Bennett tells them. “You are free to express that feeling with your own body.”
Teens learning acting from Bennett are appreciative of her approach. “I have never worked with directors before who treat everyone as an equal,” said 14-year-old Ana Petroivic of Geneva. “Everyone is like family here, and I just love going to practice.”
Her friend Meghann Walker agreed. “The directors are brilliant,” the 15-year-old Geneva High School student said. “And this show is so different. It won’t work unless every single person gives 100 percent.”
The directors admitted to a certain amount of frustration in their own creative endeavors at St. Charles High School. “One of the things we see as really important is creating an experience for our actors and musicians,” said Robertson. “And part of that is allowing them to interpret a scene as to how they see it, not necessarily how we see it.”
Even so, said drama coach Baker, “They were so mature in that they never saw anyone else’s opinion as opposing. They were always willing to work at it, and they were true leaders.”
As elan becomes more visible in St. Charles, the group is finding fundraising has become easier. They raise $3,000-$5,000 per year, much of it from private donations.
“Last year we got a part loan, part grant from the city, and we send out mailers like you wouldn’t believe,” said Robertson.
Peg O’Connor of St. Charles is a regular contributor. “I’m really impressed with the fact that they were all of 16 when they started this group. They have a great deal of talent, and I’ve watched them work so hard to raise funds. And then the quality of their work is so exceptional that I really feel privileged to be able to support them,” O’Connor said.
The elan directors concede they have much to learn, while at the same time dreaming big for their futures.
Bennett is an acting/directing major at Syracuse University. She works part time at a local coffeehouse and holds Saturday acting classes for children. “Since I’ve been in school, it’s been exciting to learn that I’ve been doing a lot of the so-called right things intuitively. But it’s equally important to learn what I’m doing wrong and be able to fix it,” Bennett said. Her ultimate dream would be to have a theater company of her own. “Sort of like Steppenwolf (Theatre in Chicago),” she said.
Robertson, working a summer job as a horse trainer, will be a sophomore English major at the University of New Hampshire. “I plan to do a lot someday,” she said. “I want to find a way to create a program in the school system to encourage communication and positive growth. I’d like to go into the Peace Corps. I’d like to get my MBA. I’d like to work with horses. Who knows?”
Jones said he just wants to dance someday. He co-teaches the children’s Saturday summer classes with Bennett, and he will continue his theater studies at Northwestern University in the fall. “I eventually want to teach at the university level and also work in choreography, setting pieces for dance companies. I love musical theater, and I’d love to do Broadway too.”
Heading back to the University of Illinois at Champaign this fall, Pratt will be studying music composition and computer engineering. He works a full-time summer job at a restaurant but dreams of teaching. “I’d like to get my doctorate and teach (music), but I’d also love to direct a contemporary musical group.”
But more than anything, the friends dream of some day coming back and working together again, after completing a few more steps in their own individual journeys.
ones summed it up. “To work with these guys again some day, that would be the ultimate dream.”
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“Work In Progress: A Journey In Three Acts” will be presented at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1020 Dunham Rd., St. Charles. Showtimes are 6 p.m. Thursday (free performance for disabled), 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Aug. 17. Prices are $4 for children under 12 and seniors, $5 for students and $6 for adults. Call 630-377-3435 for tickets.
