Junior Michael Carpenter recently played a leading role in the Upper School spring musical “The Drowsy Chaperone” and was nominated by Theatre Teacher Megan Bellwoar Hollinger for a Cappie award for exemplifying the spirit of the AFS theatre program. Here is an edited conversation with Michael about the show, his nomination for the Spirit Award and his college aspirations.

Q. At the opening of the play, it’s dark, you’re sitting there, and there is only your voice. There’s a lot on you, and either the audience is going to react to you or not. What was that like?

A. When we first started going through [the script], we spent a lot of time dissecting it, going through all the references, looking for people who would be like this character that I could draw inspiration from.

When we first got to do it for real, we practiced in the black box theatre with the lights off. It was cool to do it for the first time in the dark. And then, once we were in the auditorium, you could feel the echoing and feel the voice bounce around and feel the space. Then when the lights come up, that’s the really fun part because you’ve got to interact with the audience.

I really can only build off what the audience gives me. How they react. How they feel, and what happens with that. During rehearsals, I had to imagine that the audience was there.

There is this one line that says “Can I play this record?” and Megan told me she wanted me to wait until the audience said, “Yes.” I had to keep asking, “Please, just let me play this.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That first monologue was scary because it was two pages long. Mainly, the first page was scary, because it was four big paragraphs. I was able to get it memorized the first night I had the script. But it was difficult. Musicals usually start with some big number, everyone’s dancing, doing flips or something. But in this one, it starts with the lights out and some random guy talking on stage. It was fun to do, just because it was different from the usual.

Q. As the play went on, I noticed that you were improvising. For example, when objects were accidentally knocked off a shelf, you walked over to pick them up. How much improvisation was going on?

A. Quite a bit. That first night, when things fell off, I had to improvise a bit because I also had to something during that scene change. But when that happens you’ve just got to act like it’s normal — because it’s my apartment and I’m going to clean it up.

A lot of time, the small things I was doing on the side, or interacting with the audience and asking a question, that was completely improvised.

It’s just kind of those little things you throw in that will tie in the performance. It really helps when the audience shows up, cause then it helps tie it together. It helps make the performance whole.

When the audience is interacting with you, it gives all the actors energy — the energy to push forward and make the show bigger. In rehearsal, we did have a slight energy problem for a while. We said we need more energy. We need to go to the extreme with these stereotypes.

Then when the audience came, that’s when everyone kind of exploded with energy.

Q. How did you get into character and stay in character the whole time?

A. Right when I’m walking around the wall, I take a breath, I walk out and try to be in character right then. Just from walking out. I’m always just stuck in the character until the curtain call.

We discussed this character so much. We, Megan and I, built this character. I just took joy in being the character, and that helped being in it.

For me, it is just fun to play different characters. This character is different from any characters I’ve played. It’s almost like a mix of all the characters, but then something different. He’s shy like Edward from “Sense and Sensibility.” But, he’s still excited and knows everything about stuff. His name was “Man in Chair.”

During dress rehearsals, someone said, let’s pick a name for him. I said Elliott. Someone else said … it might have been Steven. It was more that he was just a man, and that was the way that I was able to mix and sympathize with people who are like that, who grew up just listening to records, and loved musicals so much that they knew everything about them.

For me, it’s like I know everything about “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars.” I drew inspiration from that. Just to get the excitement that he has about this. The really small things that no one knows except for the extreme fans, just because they are so obsessed with it.

Q. Do you plan to continue acting in college?

A. Yes, I do. I want to go into a theatre program. I did visit the University of North Carolina School for the Arts, which I really liked. And I like the idea of an arts conservatory.

Q. You’ve been nominated for a Spirit award, which is given to someone who exemplifies the spirit of the School’s theatre program. How does it feel?

A. It feels really cool that I was able to embody that, to show that, that Megan chose me to be nominated for that. It’s kind of exciting.

Q. Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you’d like to say?

A. It was a fun show. It was also fun to deal with the technical aspects of the show. I always try to come build the sets, which is really, really fun. …

… On the shelf [on the set], Megan put on a bunch of references to the other shows I’ve done. There’s the stuffed animal Puss in Boots from “Shrek.” There was that basket. I’m pretty sure that was referencing “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” because there was a little boat in there, we put a fake knife for the Othello rep…. There were a bunch of Shakespeare books, probably, referencing “Much Ado.” The plane hanging above was obviously referencing this show. It was just cool to see that.