When Koda Carriere joined the Young Company at Tweed & Co. Theatre, he was an insecure 17-year-old with no acting experience who was new to the province. Armed with a love of musical theatre, he was scared, but ready to try performing.
“I grew up in a really small town and to be at Tweed & Co. like that, it brought me out of my shell,” says Carriere. “It made me so much more confident. I love theatre. I love the community. I love the people. I love the support that you get in an environment like that.”
Carriere first joined Young Company in 2022 as a performer in the youth chorus for Cinder-Ellie. He went on to audition for Tweed & Co.’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and performed in the adult cast. From there, he acted in more shows with the Company until recently graduating high school and being accepted into St. Clair College’s musical theatre program on a partial scholarship.
In his younger years, Carriere had some vocal lessons, but he learned most of his acting, singing and dancing skills through Tweed & Co.’s Young Company. At St. Clair College, he’s taking dance, acting and vocal classes, along with musical theory.
The Young Company came into being in 2021 when Jocelyn Perry was brought in as Coordinator. Initially offering a few classes, the program expanded to offer programming year-round. Fall classes kick things off, followed by the Tweed & Co. holiday show with a children’s chorus. There’s a camp offered during March break, then a session of spring classes. In the summer, there are more camps with young actors potentially being called upon for Tweed & Co. professional productions on-stage. The newest offering is a dance class for youth from 6 to 18 years of age, and another for adults. Programs are offered in both Tweed (at the Marble Arts Centre) and Bancroft (at The Village Playhouse).
“Our program is evolving,” says Perry. “We’re learning that the kids want to be on stage, but they also love the behind-the-scenes aspects of theatre. We had some classes this spring where the kids wrote their own musical. They created the story. They created the songs. Then they all found costumes to go with it.”
Perry noted that some of their classes remain flexible so that the participants can guide the content. Other classes are programmed according to time. During March break, for example, participants learn a script, rehearse it, learn about acting, singing, and a dance number – in one week.
Young Company participants tend to have one thing in common, no matter their age: Enthusiasm. Not only are the classes often sold out, but there’s also a demand for even more offerings through Young Company. “I think we’re just really surprised and grateful with the response,” says Perry. “It’s really encouraging to know that there’s that much interest in theatre and the arts.”
For Young Company “graduates” like Carriere, the future is full of exciting possibilities. “I’m hoping to continue doing the same thing I’m doing now. I want to be on stage. I want to do musical theatre. I would also like to try screen acting. I want to produce my own music (I write music). So, I just want to be in the music and artistic scene.”
It’s hard to believe that Carriere was ever shy about performing. According to Perry, he is “a great kid, a great performer, and a lovely human. He has done basically every program that we’ve offered and been in as many shows as he can possibly get into. We’re really proud of him.”
Carriere’s advice for other young people considering joining Tweed & Co.’s Young Company? “Believe in yourself and put the work in, because it works. At the end of the day, everybody around you wants you to succeed and they want to support you. If you try and you work for it, you’ll get where you want to be.”
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