Monday, October 10, 2011

Jessica Kush: "Director Angel Berlane: 'If You Push Hard Enough, You Can Get Anywhere'"

Angel Berlane directs Bunnicula
If You Push Hard Enough, You Can Get Anywhere

“If you push hard enough, you can get anywhere.” These are the words that really stick with me as I leave class after our interview with Bunnicula director Angel Berlane. She says this in regards to her own experience as a child actress where her first ever audition was for the role of Annie on Broadway. Angel made it to the top thirty but failed to sing loud enough in her final audition and lost the part. While disheartened, she came away with the notion that anything is possible as long as you try.


Fitting words from someone whose zest for theater is infectious. When she speaks her hands move animatedly and her smile is engaging. Angel has been in several children’s theater productions, graduated from East Stroudsburg with a degree in theater, and has begun teaching children's acting classes at Arts YOUniverse where she is a drama and voice coach. She is truly excited about the collaboration between Arts YOUniverse and King’s College and hopes to raise awareness about the arts and children’s theater in the community.

While Bunnicula is not Angel’s directing debut, she is still learning and takes her own experiences into consideration when directing the children. Her goal is to make them as comfortable as possible. This is especially true during the audition phase. Angel wants the children to understand that they do not have to do it perfectly the first time but to just do their best even if it took a few tries.

Angel is patient and encouraging when directing them. She truly enjoys watching them grow into their characters and appreciate their own talent.  Her goal is not only to put on a successful show but to help guide the children towards the next level of acting. She feels that it is important to be there for them and to let them know that the stage is a safe zone. More than anything, Angel wants the children to grow into themselves and to enjoy the art of acting. She wants to see them succeed and gain confidence from their success. Perhaps even some of them will audition for Broadway someday where she can pass on a little advice from a lesson she once learned: “If you push hard enough, you can get anywhere.”

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