Phantom Projects Theatre Group invites you to attend the final production of the 13th Annual Young Artist Project at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, August 3rd.
Each year, nearly 200 young, creative, multi-faceted performers from all across the United States, apply to be considered for The Young Artist Project, an event held annually each August at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Those selected, (this year there are 6), are given access to a 5,000 sq ft rehearsal space, the theatre, and the financial and creative support of a 22-year-old production company. The participants are between the ages of 16-23 but each has the experience of a seasoned veteran. They have just 14 days to completely create a polished, finished, professional production that is then presented as the final production in the 2018/2019 Phantom Projects Theatre Group Season.
“You explain it to someone, and they would be like ‘are you nuts!?!.’ And to that, we would respond: ‘Yes, we are!’ Because all of these things, the sleepless nights and endless hours, that sound so awful, have been the best two weeks, ever,” commented a past participant.
Prior to the first rehearsal, the participants had never met (except this year: two of the participants attend Chapman University together). Despite this, they must form a bond quickly as they are tasked with creating everything from scratch. They are not allowed to introduce anything that has been already created, either by them or an outside artist. Every note, every word, every piece of music, every bit of dance is born during this process. They must not only create it but learn it so that it can then be performed flawlessly. “Our audience must say, ‘Wow, what an incredible show, and I can’t believe they created this in 14 days’,” notes 2019 Young Artist Emily Rose Githens, “It’s unacceptable if they walk out saying, ‘what did you expect, they only had 14 days.’”
Get to know this year’s artists and watch a behind the scenes look at day 1 of this year’s The Young Artist Project.
The Young Artist Project is the brainchild of Steve Cisneros, Phantom Projects Founder, and Artistic Director, who launched the program in 2007 as part of his company’s 10th Anniversary. “Individually, it’s clear we have talented participants. But I never know if there will be good creative chemistry in the group,” said Cisneros, who gives the final say on the project outcome. “But at the first meeting the cast immediately began bouncing ideas around and we all became enthusiastic about the possibilities. I think audiences are going to experience something that is both innovative and meaningful.”
This doesn’t mean the show will go on. True to the professional environment the young artists are engulfed in, the producer has the final say. Cisneros continues, “I view what they have at the 1⁄2 way mark, and if it’s not good enough for our stage, I make them start over.” This, of course, means the group must create a whole new show in just 7 days. The artists are ultimately then prepared for similar creative environments such as Saturday Night Live, or South Park, both of which are known for their 1-week turnaround and high-pressure environments.
The participating artists for 2019, selected from across the United States are: Nicole Garcia (El Paso, TX), Emily Rose Githens (Fullerton, CA), Gabi Jones (Maple Grove, MN), Noi Nuria Maeshige (Orange, CA), Kaitlin Smith, (Worcester, MA), and Shayna Sternin (Orange, CA).
Each year, Phantom Projects Theatre Group mounts a season of theatre at venues across the United States, at schools in Southern California, and at their home base, the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
THE 2019 YOUNG ARTIST PROJECT CAST BIOS
Gabi Jones -Entering her junior year at Chapman University where she is studying to receive a BFA in Theatre Performance. Gabi began her theatre journey nearly 10 years ago and has since appeared in nearly 50 productions all around the Twin Cities and now the Orange County area. Some of her Minnesota credits include working with: Stages Theatre Company, Young Artists’ Initiative, SOAR arts, Off-Broadway Theater, Northern Starz, Yellow Tree Theatre, and on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat to name a few. Here in California Gabi has appeared in Chapman’s production of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Rona Lisa, Dark Road an experimental student-directed one-act, and has dabbled in several short films. Gabi has written three full-length plays and hopes to workshop one in the upcoming year as an experience for students, eventually hoping to write musicals as well. She just returned from a semester abroad at the Theatre Academy of London in London, the United Kingdom where she enjoyed a theatre-heavy class schedule from lots of notable professors. She has previously appeared in Phantom Project’s Afflicted: Daughters of Salem as Abigail Williams and she is thrilled to return to the La Mirada stage to create some of her own works this time!
Kaitlin Smith is currently a double major in film and theater at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. Determined to perform in Los Angeles she drove from Boston to Sherman Oaks to take advantage of acting opportunities here this summer. When she graduates in December she plans to move to LA to pursue acting. Kaitlin has already appeared in numerous films and television shows such as Netflix’s The Society, Hulu’s Castle Rock, and Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Kaitlin also loves to write and direct and was one of sixteen people to attend Yale University’s 2018 Directing Intensive. She was also a finalist this year for the Television Academy’s Summer Internship Program. Kaitlin strives to create art that tells stories that deeply impact audiences, bring strong female characters to light, and help to make a change in society.
Shayna Sternin – If you ever need to find Shayna Sternin, the first place you should look is Chapman University. She will most likely be pouring her heart out in an acting class in pursuit of her BFA Theatre Performance degree. She caught the acting bug in first grade when she made her stage debut as Winnie the Pooh, and since then, she’s played a variety of characters, such as Valerie Clark in A Chorus Line, Dotty Ottley in Noises Off, and Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. If she’s not in the theatre building, check her bedroom, which doubles as her recording studio. She’s probably got her headphones on, crafting funky beats for her original songs.
Noi Maeshige is a senior in the musical theatre conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts. She has been in productions including the high school premiere of Jasper In Deadland (Cerberus), Johari’s Window (Harri) and Nadeshiko (Taisuke). She has been in concerts with professionals including Ali Stroker, Megan McGuiness, and Krysta Rodriguez. She is thrilled to have been given this opportunity to collaborate with artists like herself in a project like no other.
Nicole Garcia descended from the “…West Texas Town…” of El Paso, first-generation U.S. citizen Nicole Garcia is a story-teller, actress and creator bred from rich and humble soils. Scoring first place in several talent shows throughout Texas, Nicole has spent most of her years performing as a Mariachi band vocalist, Cumbia lead singer, and DJ in her hometown. Nicole’s competitive nature had always ensured her ability to excel in academics and sports from a very young age. From always exceeding the reading level of the grade she was in, participating in AP courses across all subjects to being the most ruthless player on her father’s very own soccer club, inevitably though her natural instinct for the arts kept her in the theatre and out of the science lab or off the field. Overly- ambitious and eager, Nicole relocated to Los Angeles, CA a week after her high school graduation to start her college career at AMDA College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. During her time in school, she played a major role in the Artists’ Lab, working closely with composer and visual artist Michael Deragon and featuring in, directing and coaching several student projects and creative workshops. With extensive training in Stage Combat and stunts, Nicole is SAFD certified in Rapier and Dagger and is an Unarmed/Rapier and Dagger/ Broadsword combat choreographer. She has trained under actor/director Anthony Mark Barrow, current head director at the Los Angeles campus of UK’s double award-winning Identity School of Acting and entertainment’s well-known television/stage and voice-actor Stu Levin. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting in February 2019. Garcia is currently represented by Artistic Talent. Her lifetime goals include building the first performing arts school in her hometown and a visionary production house that will not only be dedicated to casting and hiring locals from the El Paso/ Ciudad Juárez region, but will also create a medium devoted to the stories of the Mexican people, their history and culture.
Emily Rose Githens was born and raised in Orange County, CA. She has had a passion for performing since age 8 when she started in the world of TV/Film. She found her love for theatre in High School and continued performing with community theatres after graduation. She is a seasoned Phantom Projects veteran and has performed in 15+ productions with Phantom since 2014. In addition to performing, Emily has interned, volunteered, and worked part-time with the company. She is now the full-time Office Manager for the troupe. She participated in the Young Artist Project both in 2014 and 2016. “Some may say I’m insane for doing it 3 times…those people would be correct. But I am so excited to dedicate 2 weeks to creativity.” Emily is a self-taught editor and began making and editing short videos with her best friend in Elementary School. It wasn’t until returning to editing years later that she realized the passion and skill she had for the craft.
For tickets call La Mirada Theatre’s Box Office at (714)944-9801. Click here to visit Phantom Projects website for more details or call (714)690-2900.
Source: Phantom Projects Theatre Group