“To all the young performers reading this, the one thing that kept me going was the voice in my head reminding me that I don’t do it for applause or for fame; I do this for the audience and to give them the joy that I feel when I get up on that stage and sing a song or dance a dance or deliver a line,” says Camden Barer, one of the students from New Spark Performing Arts (NSPA) team.
Camden Barber has been selected for callbacks for an upcoming promotional video project to promote musicals in schools. “It feels so unbelievable to have gotten a callback,” he continues. “I’m just so dumbfounded that I got to perform in front of the people who could propel my career into such a beneficial direction, and I am just so thankful to even get one.”
NSPA students from Memphis brought home a Freddie G. Excellence in Dance award and additional accolades from the 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (JTF). The Freddie G. Excellence in Dance award holds great significance to all the team members. They all believe their hard work has been rewarded and the award is well-deserved.
“When working with New Spark, dancing is a really heavy part of it,” says Jonathan, an NSPA student. “We work really hard to perfect any dancing cuts we have in our shows. So, this award really proves how hard we have worked for this performance.”
“It is such an outstanding feeling for NSPA to be recognized,” adds Lucy, another student of NSPA who is also a member of their Teen Council. “As our director once said, ‘if there is one thing an NSPA kid is going to do, it’s dance.’ We have worked hours on mastering the moves and knowing everything in the pod like the back of our hands.”
The Teen Council at NSPA is a guiding voice during their travels to festivals like JTF. They strive to always maintain exemplary behavior, especially during JTF, as they represent New Spark and Memphis. “When you go to JTF, especially when you are a newer theater like NSPA, you have a huge responsibility of representing your community,” says Eli, an NSPA student. The council members constantly encourage their peers to do their best and to be proud representatives of their school and community.
“It’s a wonderful experience. Most of the time, people don’t take kids seriously; they’ll just say, ‘aw that was cute,’ which can be frustrating," adds Scout, another NSPA student. "I want to be acknowledged that I’m good at something because I’m genuinely good, not because I’m a kid.”
The students at NSPA have found inspiration in working with their young director, Raejah Brachter. Katie, a student at NSPA, appreciates that their director is young, making her more open to listening to them and taking them seriously. The director often advocates for the students and believes they are no less artists just because they are kids.
“At New Spark, especially during JTF, the cast has several opportunities to come up with stunts or other parts of the blocking,” adds Katie. “Also, oftentimes, a cast member will be on the production team as a music director or choreographer.”
Bratcher has been an inspiring and motivational voice to these students, allowing them to feel that they too can accomplish anything and that age is not a limitation but an opportunity. “Raejah is so extremely talented in everything she does, and being able to watch her process and see how hard she works to run New Spark while having a job and being in college makes me feel like I can do anything,” says an NSPA student, Genevieve, who is also a Teen Council Member. “
"New Spark is a very safe space," adds Gabrielle, a student at NSPA. “The director Raejah does a phenomenal job of making us all feel like we belong and have a purpose by showing us she truly cares about us and our opinions and ideas.”
Mariah Balfour and Camden Barber have also been selected as Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, an elite group of excellent performers at the 2023 JTF Atlanta.
“It still feels so surreal. I was so shocked because it was my first JTF, so getting All-Star was not really on my radar at all. So when it happened I felt so many different emotions,” Mariah says. The JTF event, recognizing and celebrating exceptional student-led musical theater programs, took place from January 13-15, 2023, at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta.
NSPA holds cattle call auditions for all of their shows, including JTF. To audition, individuals need only to fill out an audition form and show up. The audition material is taught during the audition, requiring little to no preparation.
“We also have tech and production team slots open for every show we do, and they’re all open to young people,” says Bratcher. “We have student stage managers, choreographers, music directors, lighting designers, and set designers. If you’re interested in any part of the theater world, we’ll make a place for you here with us.”
As for their JTF show, they typically perform the full Jr. version of the show in the fall and then re-audition and rework it with a smaller cast in the winter for JTF.
For more information on NSPA, visit newspark901.org
For more information on JTF, visit juniortheaterfestival.com