Silver screen superstars and Broadway legends often inspire
hopeful young actors and actresses.
Hollister – Silver screen superstars and Broadway legends often inspire hopeful young actors and actresses.
But it was a group of local actors pretending to be Munchkins that fueled Tess Kelly’s dreams of being on stage.
“When I was little, I would go to a lot of plays put on by the San Benito Stage Company,” says Kelly, 12. “Then in 1999, I went to see their production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and I knew (acting) was something I wanted to do.”
A year later, when she was just eight years old, Kelly auditioned for her first play, the Stage Company’s production of Margery Williams’ “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Even though she didn’t get a part, Kelly remained determined to be onstage.
“At first, I was kind of discouraged,” she said. “But I knew that I really wasn’t prepared that first time. I hadn’t known what to expect. When I auditioned for their next show, I was really prepared and I got my first role. I felt very proud, because I knew I had worked hard.”
Kelly’s acting debut consisted of two walk-on parts in “Annie Get Your Gun,” but the size of the role did not diminish her joy, nor did weeks of rehearsals.
“Getting into one of the summer productions is really hard, because a lot of people try out,” she said. “And I enjoyed rehearsals. They were fun. Sometimes the dancing parts would be tough, but it was a little easier for me than for some because I had done some dance before.”
When it came time for the curtain to rise on her first performance, Kelly had a serious case of butterflies.
“Opening night I was really nervous; the most nervous I’ve ever been about anything in my life,” she said. “I was more nervous than I had been at any of my dance recitals. This was new to me, and I knew there were a lot of people in the audience. It was really nerve-wracking.”
The bright lights and an appreciative audience, however, brought a quick end to any lingering stage fright Kelly may have felt. The experience was so rewarding that she has since gone on to earn roles in five more Stage Company productions, including “Stuart Little,” “Cinderella,” “The Secret Garden,” “Oliver,” and most recently, “Pocahontas,” in which Kelly had her first speaking part as well as a song solo. “Pocahontas” was even more special for Kelly, because several of her sixth-grade classmates from Tres Pinos School were also in the cast.
Keeping Kelly company during rehearsals and performances is her mother, Janet, who also serves as a costume seamstress for many of the group’s productions.
“My mom is very supportive,” Kelly said. “She likes to help them (the Stage Company) with all their shows, but she tries to be even more involved if I’m in the cast.”
Kelly works hard to find a balance between her acting, schoolwork and her other activities, including membership in a local 4-H chapter, which gives her the chance to do community service while honing her public speaking skills, she says. Kelly is also involved in Girl Scouts, but says she is considering dropping out of her troop in favor of dance lessons.
Kelly could not audition for this summer’s production of “South Pacific” – “I was too old for some parts and too young for the rest,” she says – but may serve as an understudy in another group’s production of “Grease.” In the meantime, Kelly is concentrating on her last few days as a sixth-grader and her future as a thespian.
“You still have to find time to do homework, reports and projects while going to rehearsals. I do it because theater is a lot of fun and I don’t want to quit,” she said. “I definitely want to be a part of the high school’s plays when I get there, and I might want to (act) in college. I’ve thought of a lot of things I might want to do when I grow up. I might want to be a writer, or try something with singing or dancing. I just don’t know. I haven’t decided yet.”
Laurie Castaneda writes local stories every Wednesday for the Hollister Free Lance.
