Written by Chris Ayala.  Chris is a recent grad of SLU High School and is attending Notre Dame in the fall.  He played Mereb in COCA’s production of Aida.

The summer production at COCA is a unique experience.  We are granted the unique opportunity to mingle with a diverse group of several talented middle and high school performers in the area, as well as the opportunity to be instructed by a talented staff gifted with the intrinsic desire to teach and the ability to unlock a student’s potential.  The rehearsal process is a useful tool that teaches us how to correct mistakes, critique ourselves, grow as performers, and collaborate with fellow cast members toward a unified goal.  Even instruction on the very first day proved to be useful when Phil Woodmore helped refine our vocal technique in twenty minutes with a few words of advice on breathing, and Grace Austin provided meaningful advice on acting.  In a more social aspect, several friendships and memories were created between cast members that will last even when the show closes.

I made this video from a series of clips taken during the rehearsal process for Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida at COCA on July 9 and 10.  The video production originally began as a fun project, but it evolved into a more meaningful piece of media.  The video is a physical (or digital, if you must) manifestation of the hours of hard work the entire cast, crew, and production team have spent toward producing a wonderful show, as well as a reminder of how many meaningful memories and friendships we created at COCA.

Written by Phil Woodmore, AIDA Musical Director and COCA Voice Coordinator.

Melissa Blair, Lee Nolting, Jill Gillespie, Grace Austin, Cameron Tesson, Will Bonfiglio, Phil Woodmore

Courtnie Henson and Zach Erhardt

Shelby Glidden

Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA, a production from COCA and Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation.  July 9 & 10, 2010 in COCA’s Founders’ Theatre.

Chris Page and I had a vision of doing Aida at COCA since 2006 and we were so excited to see what these young men and women had to offer us this summer in our production.  Beginning with over 80 students auditioning for our show this year, we knew it was going to be outstanding.   The high level of talent which these young musicians possess is fascinating to me and was shown every day in the very upbeat and productive rehearsal process which we have had this summer.  From day one these students were focused on their goal and worked hard to achieve excellence.  These kids, of all ages, come from very diverse backgrounds. It is wonderful to see how quickly they connected, supported and respected each other’s differences 100%.  Zach Erhardt, Radames, is a phenomenal talent at only 15.  I have worked closely with Zach for four years and was so impressed with the amazing performance that he gave this summer.  Courtnie Henson, Aida, is an incredible talent from Marquette High School in the Rockwood School District.  I have also worked with Courtnie for several years and was excited for her to have this opportunity on the COCA stage!  Shelby Glidden, Amneris, gave an incredible performance in her final year at COCA as she heads off to college to pursue dance.  Shelby’s enthusiasm and positive energy always made rehearsal fun. Furthermore her outstanding talent was shown once again on the COCA stage in a new light, musical theatre! A newcomer to COCA, Chris Ayala, Mereb, did an amazing job in the show and was also instrumental in our publicity, making the wonderful preview videos for our big performances!  The dynamite Abby Oldham, Nehebka, is no stranger to COCA’s summer productions and returned again this year with a stellar performance. Kyle Twomey, Zoser, comes to us from Rockwood Summit High School in the Rockwood School District and created such a great villain for our production.  We were honored this year to have Lee Nolting serve as our choreographer which brought us some amazing COCA dancers for this production.  Furthermore, there were many new comers to COCA this summer that created such a strong family instantly with all of the returning members of our COCA summer production.  Needless to say, we had the cast of the year for sure!

Ensemble cast

We start every rehearsal with a question of the day which gives the creative team and the actors an opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level and, furthermore, creates an even deeper bond between the cast and the creative team.  We have enjoyed high energy and very powerful music rehearsals, focused and informative master classes with our wonderful director Grace Austin, intensive choreography rehearsals with our guest artist, Chris Page and choreographer Lee Nolting, and managed to have a blast while doing it!  I have been so honored to be a part of this awesome team this summer and was so excited for our community to see the wonderful product these kids had to offer.  Music is the center of my life and one of my biggest joys and this experience is the reason I continue to work in the music field.  I look forward to the exciting performances that we will put on in the coming years as we continue to grow our Theatre and Voice Program at COCA.

-Phil Woodmore, Coordinator of Voice

Written by Ann Phillips.  Ann is a dance enthusiast and creative writer who works in the Patron Services department at COCA.

I’ve been at COCA for almost a year working in Patron Services and helping out in everything else. While the tasks that I face each day are varied, unexpected and sometimes strange (I once cut hair extensions to create a costume accessory for a West African dance), there is always one constant–the phrase “we’ll figure it out.”

The process usually starts with “What if?” or “Could we?” which leads to “Have you considered?” and “We’ll figure it out.” Finally, “Done!” It’s an open canvas of dynamic problem-solving for questioning assumptions and testing ideas.

To illustrate this fluid, collaborative process is the Patron Services photo story project. It started with my asking, “What if we shared our patrons’ wonderful stories?” The Director of Operations chimed in, “Could we post a picture of the day on our front lobby monitors?” My Patron Services colleagues asked, “Have you considered an interesting tag line?” We played around with titles, posted some pictures and improved the design, all the while figuring it out. We didn’t form a committee or conduct a study. We simply asked a question at the front desk and through impromptu conversation shared ideas to finally come up with an end product. With a distinct title and design, the photo story is updated a few times a week and features the unique stories of our patrons.

This “can do” mantra is part of our history. When Richard Baron came to executive director, Stephanie Riven, in 1987 to begin COCA’s programming, he asked for summer arts classes. It was March. Stephanie said, “March is too late.” Richard said, “Do it anyway.” So she did it anyway, and that was the beginning of COCA.

At COCA, it’s important to move around the barriers and get the job done. It’s an exciting process to participate in, and one that’s served COCA well in its rich history.