Common Thread

On May 17, teens from the Triangle will take the stage at DPAC to show off the best of what local high school theater has to offer. The DPAC Rising Star Awards are part of the larger National High School Musical Theatre Awards (or Jimmy Awards, as they’re affectionately called), in which 140,000 students participate annually across the United States. The two high school students who win on Sunday will get to travel to New York City this summer to take part in workshops with Broadway professionals, meet other students from across the country, and perform on a Broadway stage. 

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the DPAC Rising Star Awards, and it will look slightly different from past years. One of the exciting changes is the presence of Guest Director Brendan Stackhouse. His experiences as a choreographer and director have taken him to Broadway and all over the country. I was lucky enough to chat with Brendan earlier this week as he prepared to head to North Carolina.

Brendan has been a performer from a young age. When I asked him about his start in theatre, he explained, “I did the school play, which I think is kind of perfect, because that’s what got all these kids here in the first place.” He grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where there were strong theatre programs in the school system. “When it came time to decide what I was going to do with my life, I had very supportive parents who said, ‘Go for it,’” he added. He pursued a degree in Arts Administration at Wagner College, and has been working in theatre since graduating.

Brendan has credits on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at regional theaters throughout the country. This includes five seasons at the Hemlock Theatre Company on Staten Island, where he served as Resident Director on the Executive Board. Most recently, he served as Resident Director for the U.S. National Tour of Les Misérables. 

I asked him to explain what a Resident Director does on a show as well-known and beloved as Les Mis. “For something that’s long-running, it’s a lot of making sure that it stays tight every night and that the same product is being delivered to every audience,” he said. But it’s also about, “allowing the show to respond to the moment, and taking notes and making sure that it stays fresh every night.” 

He’s headed out to Phoenix, Arizona soon to direct the Phoenix Theater Company’s production of Les Mis, but he’s currently working on a new musical. Over his career, Brendan has frequently developed new plays and musicals at venues like Dixon Place, the NYTB Choreographers Lab, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Hudson Guild Theatre, and The Little Victory Theatre. 

Brendan knew the Jimmy Awards first as a fan, but then got involved through his husband, who works for the Broadway League, the organization that runs the Jimmy Awards. “He got me involved in the Jimmy Awards in a chaperone and supervisor position,” he said. He’s passionate about the importance of the awards, and is excited to be involved in a new capacity. 

When I asked him about his role as Guest Director, he was quick to credit the work that the rest of the DPAC Rising Star Awards team does. “The team that is associated with this has been there for a really long time, and so for them to welcome me in to provide a fresh set of eyes has been really amazing,” he said. “But they – Mark [Hopper, Music Director & Arranger], Freddie Lee [Heath, Head Choreographer], David [Henderson, Head Coach], José [Rondon Jr., Closing Number Choreographer] – are the people that are making it all happen on the ground.” 

He added, “I’m sort of curating and cultivating the evening, but they’re working with the students and making them shine. It’s amazing to watch these guys work and how gifted they are with the kids and how monumental the impact that they have on them is.”  

The DPAC Rising Star Awards include several types of performances, alongside the awards being given out. “There’s an ensemble which really celebrates the high school shows that have happened in the area,” Brendan explained. “All of us have been saying that having the ensemble is our favorite part, because that’s what this is about – representing that community at large.” The twenty finalists will each take to the stage to sing medleys from the roles for which they’re nominated. 

One of the things that Brendan has done, in his role of Guest Director, is to restructure the show slightly. “Originally, the first act was very saturated with awards, and we have spread them out throughout the evening, so that there’s opportunities to watch and check back in with the community throughout the night,” he said. 

In honor of the fifteenth anniversary, DPAC Rising Star alumni are returning to perform and present the awards. “It’s really going to be a celebration of years and years of hard work,” Brendan said. 

I asked if we could have a sneak peek of what to expect from the ensemble numbers. “We’re trying to be mindful to pick programming that you’re going to see in the DPAC season next year,” he teased. “It sort of acts as a preview for some of the material you’re going to see coming in through the tours next season.” 

Overall, the night is a celebration of theatre, and is likely to make a lasting impact on the students involved. “First and foremost, before having anything to do with winning or future careers, it’s so important that all of the people that have put blood, sweat, and tears into these shows are these schools – which are incredibly formative for these kids – be celebrated,” Brandan said. “Every year, I say the same thing, that I could not imagine being these kids’ parents and the pride they probably feel watching this thing that their kid loves to do be celebrated in such a mainstream way.” 

Brendan also noted the importance of exposing these young theatre-makers to the industry and the connections they can make. “These twenty kids that are finalists here are incredibly talented, and I can’t wait to work with them later in their careers. Even having a name that I can recognize five, ten, twenty years down the line is a really important thing, and these programs are designed to set those kind of connections up.” 

As our interview drew to a close, I asked Brendan what advice he has for aspiring theatre performers. “You have to have fun while you’re doing it,” he said. “If it’s not fun, then there are so many people who love and crave doing this that to not have fun with it…just find something else to do.”

He shared, “I say this to all the young people I work with when I’m doing various master classes or even when I’m directing. Theatre is an expression of humanity, right? It’s like we are in this think tank together trying to emulate the human experience on stage. You can take something and learn something from every person you interact with, if you allow yourself to. Take a minute to take in other people and collaborate and listen to the people around you.” 

Finally, I asked him for his advice to anyone who’d like to become a director. “Find people that you admire and talk to them about their work; ask to be in the room with them,” he said. “It’s a very mentor and mentee business, so people are eager to take other people under their wing and teach them and learn from them. Find work that you admire and chase after the people who created it.” 

After thinking for a moment, he added, “This is probably even more important: make your own opportunities. Go to your local library, local church, local park, any vacant space, and get your friends together and put on that basement musical.” 

It’s a touching reminder that while something like The DPAC Rising Star Awards that brings these young actors onto a grand stage and celebrates them is fantastic, it’s the making of the art itself that is most important. Sunday night represents an opportunity to publicly recognize the importance of theatre in our community, while lauding specific performances and shows. Brendan might be excited about the talent of the students he’s working with, but I’m fairly certain they’re going to be impressed by him too. 

If you’d like to attend The DPAC Rising Star Awards, you can find out more and purchase tickets on DPAC’s website.