Arts Academy Theatre Division joins nationwide theatre collaboration with world-premiere production of ‘The Great MC’
The new play by Susan H. Pak is part of the Theatre for Young Audiences’ BIPOC Superhero Project—the largest partnership in the history of the field.
What does it mean to be a hero? Do you need superhuman abilities and a cool outfit—or is it enough to have the courage to chase your dreams?
For Susan H. Pak, it’s the latter. The Chicago-based playwright penned the new play The Great MC after meeting with students and faculty from the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Division and being immersed in the Academy’s community.
“[Pak’s] main takeaway is that a lot of what we do here at Interlochen is actually heroic: That young people, especially young students of color, committing to a career in the arts as a teenager is a heroic act,” says Interlochen Director of Theatre Bill Church. “‘MC’ stands for ‘model citizen.’ The play follows four students through their high school years—9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades—as they go through all of the trials and tribulations of that stage.”
“Being a student of color can raise the bar of success to extraordinary heights that it seems only superheroes can reach,” writes guest director Jamal Howard in the play’s program notes. “Four students explore what it takes to be at the top of the class and the Herculean efforts that they must go through to achieve the same goals as their peers. Ultimately, this play is about having the courage to live in your truth.”
The Great MC will be premiered by Arts Academy theatre students this March as part of the Theatre for Young Audiences’ BIPOC Superhero Project. The production will run March 7-9 at Interlochen’s Harvey Theatre, with an additional free performance at Northwestern Michigan College’s Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City on Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m.
Spearheaded by playwright and University of Michigan Associate Professor of Theatre & Drama José Casas, the BIPOC Superhero Project is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the work of playwrights of color while exploring the issues with which youth communities of color struggle. The project brings together 25 theatre organizations from across the country and more than 20 playwrights of color—making it the largest partnership in the history of the field.
Interlochen Arts Academy is the only high school involved in the collaboration. Church learned about the project from Gustave Weltsek—an Associate Professor at Indiana University, the editor of the Youth Theatre Journal, and the father of recent Arts Academy graduate Marcela Weltsek-Medina. After joining the project, the Academy Theatre Division was paired with Pak, who visited campus twice to gain inspiration for her play.
Howard, who has previously directed Pak’s plays, will lead students in the world-premiere production of The Great MC.
“Working with a director right out of the professional world like Jamal is a really unique opportunity for our students,” Church says. “The students have [the faculty] all day in class, so to suddenly have a new voice—who doesn’t know them, but who brings his unique energy and vision to what they do—is very special.”
The production features a cast of six: Four main characters and two supporting actors, who also serve as understudies for the main cast. Three more students are involved behind-the-scenes as stage manager, sound designer, and backstage crew.
For the actors, the play is an opportunity to originate their roles.
“When we do something like a Shakespeare play, thousands and thousands of people have played these roles before,” Church says. “But these students are the first voices ever to play these characters. Their names will be in the publication of the play as the original cast. That’s a really big deal.”
The play’s setting also offers students a chance to explore characters close to their own age.
“This is a play written about teenagers,” Church says. “Sometimes we ask students to play 80-year-olds. But so much of acting training is learning to work from yourself and bring yourself to a role. I’m really interested to see, as I start to watch the performances, how these students bring themselves to roles that are written about their age range.”
Beyond Interlochen’s production, The Great MC will be included in a two-volume anthology of plays created as part of the BIPOC Superhero Project and featured in a book about the project. The writer for the chapter about The Great MC will spend most of tech week at Interlochen observing the preparations.
Ultimately, The Great MC is not only a chance to be part of a one-of-a-kind theatre collaboration, but also to present a professional theatre work inspired by Interlochen Arts Academy.
“I think the scope of this project is really unique,” Church says. “It’s going to be very special for our community to see an original piece created about us.”
Want to be part of other amazing opportunities for young actors? Learn more about the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Division or start your application today.
