RSS
Home
West Carrollton High School director Brian Coleman's musical journey
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Once upon a time in Kettering, Ohio, there was a wonderful theatre program that offered hundreds of teenagers an opportunity to experience theatre, outdoors, under the stars. One former teen is now returning so much of what he learned to his own students.
Meet the musical theatre director for West Carrollton High School, Brian Coleman.
Before the young 8th grader began his lengthy performing career with Keith Prentice and Pat Carson, co-founders of Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), Mr. Coleman’s first stage role began in a series of youth musicals at his church when he portrayed Psalty The Songbook.
Brian’s first ‘real’ experience was working on the stage crew for If The Shoe Fits at TUTS. Despite the humble introduction to the TUTS stage as the guy that pulled the shoe open from back stage, he was soon to be a resident performer with TUTS, doing six shows a year throughout his high school tenure, plus all the shows at his high school.
“I learned so much from Keith Prentice, Pat Carson, and Charles Wendelken-Wilson. All three could be so difficult to work for sometimes, but they were so caring, dedicated, and brilliant that it was just a pleasure to watch them do their thing together. I'm still doing this today because of each of them.”
And still doing it, he is.
While serving as the vocal music department chairperson at his alma mater, Mr. Coleman also teaches elementary school music classes, the middle school and high school choirs, the high school’s show choir, and directs the Spring musical.
As a high school student at West Carrollton, Brian was a lead in three musicals: Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes, and South Pacific.
“I will never forget standing center stage as the curtain closed for the Act I finale of South Pacific. While singing 'Some Enchanted Evening,' I went for the high note to realize that my costume was falling off and my cummerbund was dangling between my legs like a tail."
After blazing some trails in the Miami Valley, he continued blazing even more at Bowling Green State University as the first student to stage manage the opera workshop during a production of Smetna’s The Bartered Bride.
And if that was not enough, the 1994 graduate had the sole distinction of being the first BGSU student to complete a dual concentration in both vocal music education and musical theatre.
Director Coleman had a great introduction to theatre directing working six years under Keith Prentice, and especially, Pat Carson, who was also his choir and musical director at West Carrollton. Brian’s enthusiasm, generated from his young actors, was instilled by his mentors, Carson and Prentice
“I really love teaching. Watching kids get hooked is the best. Seeing them realize that they have the audience in the palm of their hand and watching them get that rush from the audience gives me goose bumps every time.”
Like many high school musical theatre programs, finding parent volunteers and instrumentalists for the orchestra are an annual frustration. However, the resilient director reminds himself of the students, the core of his devotion to teaching.
“I love handing the show over to the kids at the end of the production. Then being able to just sit back and enjoy the show.”
But for most directors there seems to be very little sitting back to enjoy anything. So often, directors are called upon to fill in at a moment’s notice for anything that must be accomplished.
“I've done just about everything at one time or another... sound, lights, design, sewing, props, pit musician, I was even the back stage cook for a play that had tons of dinner table scenes.
In the end, for Brian Coleman, it always returns back to center – back to the students. He admits that he is in awe of students can appear so fearless but also so fragile at times.
“They'll try anything as long as they trust that you won't let them down or put them into a situation where they will look foolish (unintentionally). They don't know that they can't do something just because it's too hard, they just do it! Watching them blossom is the real paycheck.
The passion and enthusiasm Mr. Coleman brings to his music students and performers in the Spring musical are clearly evident. He strongly encourages his students to “just go for it.”
“You'll never get a part if you don't audition. Pretending to be someone else is a great way to spend your free time, and in the process, you might find yourself.”
Be sure to mark your calendars now for West Carrollton’s 2010 Spring musical, William Hauptman and Roger Miller's Big River, based on Mark Twain’s classic, Huckleberry Finn.
Big River will appear on the WCHS stage April 23 & 24 at 7:30pm, and April 24 & 25 at 2:00pm.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
