For many aspiring actors in rural areas, opportunities to engage in the performing arts are scarce — theater programs in these areas are often underfunded or non-existent. Located just south of Charlottesville in Fluvanna County, Empowered Players is working to change that — by bringing free theater classes to children in the rural area, which culminate in a public production showcasing the students’ skills.
The nonprofit will soon be entering its 10th year, with no signs of slowing down. Founder Jessica Harris said they remain committed to ensuring every child has a chance to find community through the program.
“We firmly believe there is room for everyone in the theater, whether it's on stage, off stage, whatever the case may be,” Harris said. “[Being] able to create and explore in a safe space where you know you'll be supported … you'll feel more empowered to pursue your passions.”
Empowered Players offered its free theater programs this summer, where K-12 students learned acting and stagecraft before showcasing their talents in a public performance. Empowered Players recently wrapped its productions of “The Jungle Book” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” as well as a new collaborative piece named “Camp Mosaic,” which gave students the opportunity to directly engage in the screenwriting and directing process.
Harris — a ‘double Hoo’ and Fluvanna native — founded the program while still in high school, starting out as a one-week summer camp. Harris hoped to bring the performing arts to her rural community — having grown up in the area, she did not have access to theater programs in the immediate area.
“Growing up for me, there wasn't any performing arts readily available for kids,” Harris said. “There's not a lot in the rural areas — you have to go to Charlottesville.”
Harris went on to receive her bachelor's in Arts Administration and master’s in educational psychology at the University, all while continuing to lead and expand the program. By the time she graduated, the program had already become a staple of the community.
“I'm hopeful that this has given students community and a connection to [Fluvanna],” Harris said.
Alaine Ferralli, co-director and instructor for the program, led “Camp Mosaic,” which was written largely by students with a theme centered around light.
“Students are going to have the opportunity to play around with different safe light sources and like theme theater a little differently, because [there] isn’t a general plot — it's a bunch of pieces put together that have to do with a common theme,” Ferralli said.
Middle schoolers involved in the project will weave their ideas together into a final performance, working together from start to finish. Ferralli said she was inspired by her graduate school classes to try the new program this summer.
“[There are] a lot of opportunities for the students on the first day of camp to collaborate and give their ideas,” Ferralli said. “There's a lot of fill in the blanks where they can add their ideas or there'll be opportunities for them to work with a small group, to write part of the script, surrounded by the theme of light.”
The impact of the program, however, extends far beyond the stage. Students often return as mentors and uplift younger participants — a testament to the strong sense of community the program fosters. Participants have also volunteered in local community spaces, including reading at the library and teaching improv at the senior center.
Harris spoke to the lengths at which students grow individually through the program. She noticed some had improved their academic skills, whereas others felt more confident in their personal lives.
“[If] we impact even just one kid… [if they] feel that they found a community … learned something about themselves or that they were able to express themselves in some way, then that's huge,” Harris said.
More information about the program and upcoming performances is available on the Empowered Players website.
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