Class ACT - Aspire Community Theatre
In case you missed it, Coeur d’Alene is home of a new theater company called Aspire Community Theatre.
The company is led by artistic director Trigger Weddle, who has an impressive history in the theatre arts. Weddle studied acting at Circle In The Square in New York City and holds a Masters of Arts in drama from the University of Arkansas. In addition to her duties as artistic director for Aspire, she has directed many local and college productions and is the jazz instructor and a choreographer at Northern Dance Academy.
Weddle answered some questions about the new company:
Who is Aspire Community Theatre and how did they come to be?
Aspire Community Theatre is a local community theatre created to entertain and educate local performers in the Coeur d’Alene area. Originally, Aspire was developed to provide an outlet for talented local performers, who had outgrown children’s theater and weren’t quite ready for the professional stage, to hone their performance and technical skills. Our desire is to prepare these artists for the opportunity to, one day, work with some of the professional companies in our area.
How is Aspire different than other theater companies?
Every aspect of our productions is a learning experience. We assemble a creative team who can share their professional experiences with performers, from the audition process to casting, and finally to production.
We include opportunities to learn technical skills as well. From building sets, lighting design, sound mixing, costuming and stage managing, Aspire provides skilled individuals to come alongside individuals who want to learn and be a part of something bigger than themselves. We do all of this without compromising on our high production value. After all, we want to entertain our audiences.
Who puts your shows together?
A group of creative individuals collaborate together toward a unified vision. Once the artistic director secures the production material (music and script), the director shares their vision, the musical director teaches the music and oversees the orchestra, and finally, the choreographer creates the movement appropriate to telling the story.
Where do you produce your shows?
The last four shows, as well as the upcoming production of “Children of Eden,” have been produced at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene. The Kroc has a wonderfully designed and technically modern 400-seat theater. Our performers enjoy sharing their gift to the community on this stage and our audiences are enveloped by the whole experience there.
It says “Community” in your name. Can anyone be in your shows?
Anyone can be in our shows, assuming there is a character who matches their particular demographic. We try to cast adults as adults, kids and kids, and so on.
How can the community get involved with Aspire?
Come see a production! Not everyone likes to perform or be on stage, but purchasing a ticket is the best way to support us. We also like to partner with our community businesses with show sponsorships and offer advertisements in our production program. The arts are vital to a healthy community and Aspire wants to be a vibrant part of that.
What is your next show?
Our next show is “Children of Eden,” composed by Stephen Swartz, who is famous for “Wicked” and “Godspell” to name a few. It’s based on the book of Genesis, is family-friendly, and should not be missed. The musical runs April 20-29 at The Kroc Center.
To learn more about Aspire Community Theatre or purchase tickets, go to www.AspireCDA.com.