Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 607
(upbeat music) - Welcome back in everyone to a fabulous new Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We have a wonderful, wonderful organization to bring you today and a fantastic event that they're here to speak to us about. And joining us from this company, we've got the founder and creative director, Madeline Bender. She is from Creative Stage Collective and she's here to talk to us about their CSC Open Day, which is August 24th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the El Bario Community Garden. And you can get more information about this by visiting creativestagecollective.org. This is a fan, plastic event for all ages. This is gonna be so much fun. I can't wait to share more about this. This is a wonderful organization, a wonderful event. So let's go ahead and welcome in our guest, Madeline Bender. Welcome into Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Well, I'm very thrilled to be here. I'm a fan. - Oh, bless you a thousand times. Thank you for that. I love what you're doing with this wonderful organization, Creative Stage Collective and this CSC Open Day sound fantastic. Could you start by telling us a little bit about your, this event as well as Creative Stage Collective? - Well, Creative Stage Collective is a company where adult professional artists work together with amateur kids to co-create theater, that's original theater, and it's all based on the kid's imagination. So four times a year, our troop, we have a regular ongoing troop of 30 kids and our adult artists. And we have an open day, which is an open house. So we invite kids from the community to come and join us and be part of what we do in our regular rehearsals, meetups with our troop. So we'll be doing improv games, we'll be doing a little bit of dance, we'll be doing a little bit of music, games, and lots of laughing and being creative. And that's the nuts and bolts of it. - That sounds so wonderful. I love that. So you mentioned, Bob, you're talking off the air that your organization is about five years old. I'm curious to know in those five years, you know, where did you come up with the idea for this event? - Well, we started out, like I said from, well, maybe I said this before, we started as well, but we started out as an education company. So we would have regular classes with our students, they were students at that point. When we moved to become a theater company, we wanted to shed the education trappings, right? So now the kids are part of the troop and they're responsible to do anything and then an adult performer would be responsible for. And so then we realized, well, we need some kind of forum to create the new material because before that was happening in the classroom. And so if we're gonna shed the classroom piece, we need to have meetups. So we started to have meetups and we have a monthly meetup. Every month we get together, we kick ideas around, we play in prop games, we do brainstorming exercises. We do a little bit of rehearsal to make sure our dance and music skills stay sharp. And so a couple steps down the road, we said, hey, we need to recruit new talent. So in order to recruit new talent now, we have our open days. And so that gets rid of the whole audition concept because kids don't need to audition for things. And we just come, we play, there's absolutely no pressure. But once in a while, we might say, "Hey, that kid is really interesting. "Maybe we wanna tap them on the shoulder and say, "Hey, come to one of our regular troop meetups. "Maybe we'll rope you into the troop if you're interested." And so that's how we developed our open day concepts. - That is fantastic. - It's fun. And speaking of that, it's interesting. That's how we wrote a lot of our adult artists. And I was just speaking to one of our adult performers this morning saying, "Hey, this goes both ways." Because the adult artists are mentors to young performers, but the kids are reminding these adults how to play. That this art form is about imagination, play and fun. So we kind of have a quid pro quo with our team, with the adults and the kids. - I love that. So let me ask, you've kind of started touching on this, but with the organization being around for about five years, what has it been like developing not only creative stage collective, but the CSC open day, especially this year's? - Well, so this year, one thing that we noticed is that part of our mission is to really have a diverse troop where we have all so many different backgrounds represented, right? We don't want to just have one kind of way of looking at the world in our troop. And so that is intergenerational. So we're looking at different ages, but that's all kinds of every form of diversity that you can imagine. We would like to make that part of how we create. So we did notice that there are bubbles in the city that the city calls underserved communities, right? So that's like, I don't know, a buzzword or something. Well, we noticed that it was more difficult for young performers and young people in general to kind of get themselves to our meetups and our open days. So we started to look for places in these quote unquote underserved communities, our areas of the city so that we could hit some more kids that maybe wouldn't be able to get themselves to Brooklyn or the Upper West Side or wherever, wherever as easily. And so that's how we wound up with this partnership with the New York Restoration Project Gardens. So that is why we're going to be at El Barrio. And so we're bringing our A-listers. We're bringing some of our fan favorite troop members. One is Rob Manning, the junior, who's very tall and very awesome. And one is Marissa Ryan, who is not as tall, but still very awesome. So they'll be joining our troop for the day. Yeah, I hope that answers the question. - Absolutely, that is really, really fantastic. And it kind of leads to my next question, which is actually going to be a two-parter. - Okay. - I'd love to know, first of all, what can participants expect from this day? You kind of mentioned a few, there's two big headliners, if you will, that are coming to take part in this. But also, is there a message or a thought you're hoping that audiences take away from this event? - Well, there's actually not, but actually there isn't really an audience for this particular event. This event is more like a participatory workshop where if you're there, we're gonna put you to work. There are no lazy people, no butts on the seats for this open day. So what people should expect, and we do ask for an RSVP because we want everyone to be able to participate fully. So we do have a limited number of spots. But if you sign up, you RSVP, you come in, then you're in the creative stage collective world for those two hours. We're going to be playing games. We have, I'll give you an example, we have a game that is very popular in our troop called Spooth Commercial Challenge. And the only rules to this game are that you have three minutes to think of a product that, and who you're going to sell it to, and it can be anything, but we do encourage kids to think of something no one wants and no one needs. So if you can imagine what might ensue, if you have, for example, a group of two adult artists working with three amateur kids, what kind of product lines are we going to develop? Well, I promise you it's funny, and very playful and very imaginative. I could give you some, a list of some of the products that have been developed by teams in the past. You probably wouldn't want to buy any of them, but they're. So we'll be doing things like that. Probably some movement things with our choreographer, Sam Green, everyone who's, Samantha Greenland, who's fabulous choreographer. And yeah, that sort of fun participatory type of thing. That is so wonderful. I love it. Well, my final question for this first part, I feel like is an obvious answer, but tell me, who do you hope have access to Creative Stage Collective's Open Day? It is so important to the vision of this company that everybody has access. So there's no cost involved in this Open Day. You do have to be get your name on the RSVP list because it is also important the quality of the experience. We don't want, you know, just to have more kids than we can really serve at this particular event, but everyone has access. And we actually want, we want it to be really universal so that any kid can look around them, any kid, and say, oh, I'm comfortable here. I'm welcome here. There's people around here that represent my background, my point of view. And I need all the different kinds of people. So it's a welcoming place. And that's really, really important to Creative Stage Collective. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Well, for the second part of our interviews, we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better. Pull the curtain back, if you will. And I would like to start with our regular first question, which is what or who inspires you? What playwrights, composers, or shows have inspired you in the past? Or just some of your favorites? - Well, I have to tell you, this is the most difficult question that anyone, you may have noticed I'm not good at being concise, but it does remind me of a story that I can't stop myself. I have to tell the story. So there was a kid at one of our meetups and we were doing a warmup activity that we do often where you go around and everybody has to say their favorite color or whatever. And so we got to this one second grader and they looked at me and just my favorite color is rainbow. As I was like, I'm keeping that. That one's going in the bowl. So the answer is rainbow, but if you want me to talk about what's inspiring me lately, I would say I'm becoming really obsessed with dance of all kinds. And my background was as an opera singer. I have had some theater background as well, but this world of dance, I just fascinated by it and really moved by it. So I've, you know, I drug my fam, I didn't drag them. They were very lucky to go to Jacob's pillow with me last summer. And we saw this, it's Gucci, I think it's the way we pronounce dance and it was this amazing performance. And also we have a woman on our advisory board who does like Latin hip hop and all kinds of Latin dance named Stephanie Peña. And so I started studying dance which no one ever wants to see, but I mean, I'm a really geeking out fan. Not very knowledgeable, but extremely inspired. Oh, and Marc Morris, we saw a phenomenal performance. My husband and I, I just love how they use classical music to do all kinds of unexpected things that are kind of mundane, but also like really inspiring at the same time. It's they're good at being simple. They don't need rainbow like I do, but anyway. So I would say dance is the headline. - I love that. I love that. Well, I wanna ask, you know, even very busy with this upcoming event that's, you know, just under two weeks away, have you seen any great theater or performing arts lately that you might be able to recommend to our listeners? - Let's see. The, I think that the most awesome thing that I saw this past year, well, first of all, rainbow. And second of all, the most awesome thing that I saw this year, I think, is not playing anymore. It was at the Metropolitan Opera and it was Rose and Cavalier. And it had two women in it that I know and I knew that, I mean, they worked with another project that I was doing, it was actually a philanthropic thing. And so they were volunteering and they're just lovely people. Samantha Hanky and Erin Morley and their upper singers, they're astonishingly unbelievably talented. And going to see them do something together was blew my head off and that was some of the most unbelievably beautiful singing. So if you're into opera, I would say, wherever you can see the names, Samantha Hanky or Erin Morley, that's the one to go to. That's the one to buy to get your, you know, opera fix. And I also saw, and I also saw, hey, sound finally. I know I'm late to the party, but that was awesome. - Yes, yes, that is an amazing show. Those are great suggestions. Thank you for that. I wanna ask you now, what is your favorite part about, you know, being in the performing arts? - Ooh, well, I would say that in my newfound role, you know, as the director at CSC, you know, 'cause I started as an opera singer, so I was more on the performing side. But now I'm just in love with this job I have of taking an idea, you know, that a kid, you know, harvesting these ideas from kids and watching that idea go through all of the different things it has to go through to be refined, to end up on the stage where hundreds of people are being moved by what they see. That is just really, that's just the greatest job in the world. And when you're also watching a kid and their transition from, you know, oh, well, I'm just a kid who am I, I'm just figuring things out, I'm just a youngster. And catching on to this idea that my idea is what transformed, what grew, what flowered, what turned into this moment on stage that is moving this audience of 700 people and seeing the kid just being that confidence and enthusiasm and just like that knowledge, that is what just makes, it's just like the best thing to see that. And you know, you're sending these kids out into the world with the understanding of what it takes to take an idea and refine it and make it into something that can communicate. And that can go, forget about, you know, creating the next generation of artists or theater goers or whatever, that's just creating the next generation of like empowered leaders and people that, you know, understand through the arts, through performing, through an idea, right? I know how to make an idea into something that I can communicate to large amounts of people. My God, then you're ready to go in any profession, right? So that is what keeps me waking up happy every day. - That is such a phenomenal answer. I love that I adore that. And you know what, that is a great lead into my favorite question to ask guests, which is what is your favorite theater memory? Or since we are the whole spectrum, you can give up performing arts memory as well. - Mm, favorite theater memory. Oh my word, rainbow, rainbow, rainbow. I would say, well, I'm gonna make it really personal. So my favorite memory is a performance that I was in. It was at a time in my life where I, my mother was not, was very ill. She had cancer and she came to most all of my performances. I was a high operatic soprano and I was doing role of Traviata and I was doing it in Canada. And I know she would have come, but she could. So I went through that whole rehearsal process of however, like six weeks or whatever it was, just not feeling on top of things. I just didn't feel like the, you know, most performers know like, you know, all this stuff like, oh, a bad dress rehearsal is a good performance is like not true. But good dress rehearsal is probably means that the, you know, good rehearsals usually mean the performance will be good. And these rehearsals weren't going great. I was having vocal problems. I was having head case problems. I was just not on top of things. And I walked out onto the stage and it's just an iconic role. If you know that opera La Traviata, the role of the Aletta, it's just, it's just a really, it's a crazy role 'cause this woman like she dies at the end and something happened. I don't know what to say. Like something happened on that night where I guess I abandoned all of the judgment and all of the storm that I was going through personally and with my mother and all of that stuff. But somehow I walked into some other space and I would never tell my students or the kids in my troop or anybody I was mentoring to ever think this way 'cause it's just, it doesn't usually work that way. But I had a great show. I had a great show. And at the end of it, and this only happened to me once or twice where I walked out for my ovation at the end, the vlogs, clap, clap, clap. And I walked out and everybody stood up. And that was like, I mean, I've been in shows with standing ovations before, but not for me, not my moment. And everybody just stood up and you would think that that would be, I don't know, like an ego moment, right? Like, oh, wow, standing ovation, everybody's standing up for me. But for me, that was a, it was just the most humbling experience of my lifetime. And all I wanted to do was say, I just wanted to say to all of those people, God, thank you, thank you. You have given me this, I don't know, some kind of healing or something through your coming through this journey with me tonight. So that's my answer. Do not young people of the arts, do not wait for those moments. Go work hard, have good rehearsals. But I had one of those moments. - That is a beautiful memory though. Oh, thank you so much for sharing that. Well, as we wrap things up, I would love to know, do you or your company have any other projects or productions coming on the pipeline? I do know there's quite an event happening in September that you had mentioned off the air. - Yes, so our open day is, you know, obviously a great activity and please everybody come. But what we can, how do I say this? The big headline is, we are doing a show and it's called Summer Shebang and we're having five performances in September that are going to be just super, super fun. So, you know, people who wanna expect the unexpected wanna really laugh, wanna maybe think about things a little bit, see the world a little differently through the eyes of the fresh eyes of a child. People who want to kind of have a wholesome sketch comedy experience that everybody in the family can enjoy on different levels. This is really a fun event. It's a little more intimate, you know, smaller venues and we're in Electric Ladybug Community Garden. We're in the Carrie Belafonte branch of the Public Library. We're in, at the JCC Harlem on 118th Street and then two performances on the 29th at Battery Park Conservancy in the Showbox Theater. So everybody come to see that show because it's free and it's awesome. I love that, that is fantastic to hear. Some great things happening over at Creative Stage Collective and that's great meaning to my final question which is if our listeners would like more information about CSC Open Day or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you, how can they do so? - We have a website, it's www.creativestagecollective.org and we also have an Instagram Creative Stage Collective on Instagram, you can check out some of the happenings and yeah, that's the best way to find us. - Wonderful. Well, Madeline, thank you so, so much for taking the time to speak with me, for sharing your wonderful organization and this exciting event coming up. I am so excited for it. This is gonna be great. So thank you so much for your time today. - Thank you and I look forward to seeing you there. - My guest today has been the incredible founder and creative director, Madeline Bender, who's with Creative Stage Collective. We spoke today about their upcoming event CSC Open Day which is August 24th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Elbarrio Community Garden. You can get more information and RSVP at creativestagecollective.org. We also have some contact information for our guests which will be posted on our episode description as well as on our social media posts. But make sure to come on out August 24th from 2 to 4 p.m. at Elbarrio Community Garden, have some fun. That's the most important thing. Come out and have some fun. It's the CSC Open Day on August 24th. We also wanna remind our American listeners that election day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered to vote, have a plan to vote, and do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register to vote by visiting vote.gov. The future demands that we fight for it now. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies, and keep talking about the theater. - It was dangerous. - Thank you. (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five-star review, like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at stagewhisperpod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things stagewhisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets, and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazzar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazzar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging on to patreon.com/stagewhisperpod. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. We could not do this show without you. (upbeat music) ♪ Don't care anywhere near your town, make me down ♪ [BLANK_AUDIO]