Middle School Speaker Series Kicks Off with "Broadway on Ninth!"
Though just down the street the theaters of our city are dark, waiting for Broadway to reopen once again (which it will!), Speyer Middle Schoolers were treated to their own "backstage chat" as we welcomed a panel of folks with, collectively, decades of experience in multiple roles (pun intended!) in the world of theater.
This "Broadway on Ninth!" assembly was the first in a series launched as a partnership between the school and the Speyer Parents Association. Specifically aimed at our Middle School students, these panels will expose them to different fields and perhaps incite hidden passions – or capitalize on current ones.
The panel included Leah Gardiner Gilliam, P’20, Manoel Felciano, P’28, Candy Gold, and Julia Jordan (you can read their impressive bios below). As they introduced themselves, our students heard each of their amazing journeys of how they ended up where they are today in their theater careers (and everyone made a wish on Ms. Gold's Tony award as per theater lore).
Head of Middle School Ms. Cristella moderated the Zoom chat with an array of questions from our students which allowed our panelists to share stories and impart some wise words. Each of them focused on how hard work and passion were just as important -- if not more so -- than talent. They encouraged our students to pay close attention to how they feel when they are doing something and to use that observation as a guide for finding their own paths.
As they told their own personal stories about "failing forward," our panelists emphasized that failing isn't bad and actually helpful, no matter what career our students may choose. Mr. Felciano recalled Samuel Beckett’s famous quote to "fail better" and talked about going to auditions, not getting the part, and how to deal with rejection. He challenged our Middle Schoolers to reframe any situation, especially ones in which they could fail, as an opportunity, as a chance to experience something they haven’t before. Ms. Gold followed up on that opportunity theme, and reminded the students to "connect the dots" on their journeys through life, to take risks when an opportunity arises, and to use their skill sets to adapt to that new experience to make it work for them.
It was a wonderful afternoon and a rare chance for our students to hear from some of the best in the theater business! Stay tuned for a recap of our next Middle School Speaker Series coming soon!
Leah Gardiner Gilliam, P’20 – Leah won an Obie award for Born Bad, and she’s won and been nominated for multiple other awards. She has directed plays here and abroad, including most recently For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Leah has directed plays by writers including Tanya Barfield, debbie tucker green, Dan Deitz, Anna Deveare Smith, Penelope Skinner, Kevin Artigue, and Roy Williams. In addition to her theater experience Leah acted in Little Men opposite Greg Kinnear and directed two short films. She also produced a feature film called Mother of George. Leah holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama.
Manoel Felciano, P’28 – Manoel is a Tony-nominated actor whose Broadway credits include To Kill a Mockingbird, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Cabaret. Manoel plays multiple instruments and speaks several languages. He earned his BA at Yale and his MFA from the NYU Graduate Acting Program. (He also has much experience in television and film!)
Candy Gold – Candy has co-produced and invested in more than 30 Broadway shows and several touring shows. She won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical for Hadestown. She was also nominated for Best Play for the drama Eclipsed and Best Revival of a Play for The Glass Menagerie. Other credits include Jagged Little Pill, Frankie and Johnny in the Clare de Lune, Meteor Shower, and Significant Other. Prior to working in theater, Candy was a news reporter, arts and entertainment critic, ran a children’s theater program, and had her own local cable cooking television show and won a competition on Food Network. She served on the Board of both the Wang Center for Performing Arts in Boston and the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge.
Julia Jordan - Julia is best known as the book writer and lyricist of Murder Ballad, originally produced by MTC. The show was nominated for five Lucille Lortel Awards and has been produced across the country, Europe, and Asia. Julia’s other work has been honored with the Kleban Award, the ATT Onstage Award, the Francesca Primus Prize, the American Spirit Award, the Compte de Nouy (twice), and the Heideman Award (twice). Julia is also a three-time Susan Smith Blackburn Award finalist, receiving an Honorable Mention. Julia has fellowships at MTC, Juilliard, and The MacDowell Colony. She is a founder and the executive director of The Lilly Awards, created in 2010 to honor female playwrights and to address the shortage of plays by women that get produced in the United States. Julia is the creator of the Lilly/Dramatist Guild National Count, a founder of The Family Residency at Space on Ryder Farm, and is the Treasurer of The Dramatist Guild of America. Julia graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and earned her master’s at Trinity College Dublin.