My Upcoming Sight & Sound Adventure!

This place is amazing!!
Dear Friends and Family,

Though many of you have already heard, it is my great pleasure to announce that I have been accepted to attend the Sight & Sound Conservatory’s 2017 class! I’m writing this letter for two reasons – firstly, I’ve talked with many of you about what this venture entails, but not all of you!

Secondly, I would appreciate any donations toward my schooling that you might feel led to give! For many reasons (read below) I will be unable to work while I’m in Pennsylvania for the year, and thus have to save all my funds beforehand. I’ve been working diligently since September 2015 to earn the majority of the finances I’ll need, but if anyone would like to give, I could use a push to get me to where I need to be come January!

What is the Sight & Sound Conservatory?

The gorgeous theatre in PA!
The Sight & Sound Conservatory is a very unique musical theatre school within the larger company of Sight & Sound Theatres. Sight & Sound is forty years old, is the largest faith-based live theatre in the country, and has been described by many as "Christian Broadway." They have two theatres, one in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and another in Branson, Missouri. I’ll be going to their theatre in PA!

Sight & Sound is a professional company—they pay their actors (around 40 to a cast), have state-of-the-art technology, top-notch production quality, have live animals in all their shows, a 300-foot wide stage that curves around three sides of the room, and a two thousand seat auditorium! There are eleven shows a week and their productions (typically two a year) run March through December! Not only that, but all their shows are Bible stories AND musicals!

The 2,000 seat auditorium!
There’s so much more I could say about this amazing theatre company! If you’d like to know more or see media from their shows, you can check out their website: www.sight-sound.com.

The Sight & Sound Conservatory is a very different approach to learning the craft of musical theatre.

Starting in January, 2017, I will be one of twelve students that daily participate in both classroom instruction and “performance internship”. Tuesday through Friday, I will have a number of classes focused specifically on musical theatre craft. This includes classes in singing, dancing, and acting, but also theatre history, stage combat, stage horsemanship, and more! We'll also be preparing pieces for a student showcase at the end of the year. Between classes, I will participate in two shows a day (three on Saturday) once Sight & Sound’s season begins in March. This means I’ll be on-stage or in class ten hours a day, Tuesday through Saturday! This is the primary reason I will be unable to earn significant, consistent income once I’m in PA.

The giant whale used in "Jonah"
I am SO excited that I will be able to perform as an ensemble member in S&S’s productions of “Jonah” running from March 11th-October 14th and “Miracle of Christmas” running from November 3rd-December 30th. Tickets are already on sale at the Sight & Sound website!

As a student, I will not be paid like the majority of the cast. However the opportunity to perform as an amateur actor in professional theatre, nine times a week for months on end, is enough in itself! But we will also receive a certificate upon completing the program and have the chance to audition for the company if we so desire.

To learn more about the Conservatory, visit this website:
http://shows.sight-sound.com/StaticContent/ssconservatory/

You can also watch a video about the Conservatory below:



Why did you decide to attend the Conservatory?

I’ve been performing since I was seven years old at Spiritual Twist Productions, a local Christian theatre group. For years I thought it was just a hobby, but in the past couple years, I’ve really felt the Lord leading me to be more involved in theatre. I could go on and on about how I believe live theatre is such an amazing tool God can use to impact lives, but I won't write that all out here! Feel free to message me for my thoughts on that! 

My SSC audition day...on crutches!
Anyway, the journey really began in late 2014 after I returned from a summer mission trip in Ghana. On somewhat of a whim, I auditioned for Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ (AMTC), a Christian organization designed to help prepare Christians to be a light to the often dark world of entertainment. I received some very encouraging words from a former Creative Director on Broadway and was accepted to their program. However, at that time I didn’t have the finances or ability to join. I was convicted, however, that perhaps the Lord wanted me to use the gifts He’d given me to pursue a path in the performing arts.

In 2015, I participated in several secular theatre endeavors. Although I had many great experiences, I always came away with the same thought—that the theatre world can be a pretty dark place, but that I wanted to change that! I also saw that, if I wanted any part of positive change, I’d need professional experience and education.

I have several friends who have gone different paths of theatre experience and education, and I am so excited for where the Lord is leading each of them! In my case, however, I did not feel personally led to attend a secular school to learn theatre. I had recently come to this conclusion when the Lord brought Sight & Sound to my attention! I attended their open house in September 2015, and was blown away by the production quality AND their heart for the Lord! It was then I knew that, whether or not I got accepted, that God wanted me to save money and audition for the school, even if I didn’t end up making it. Thankfully—I did!

What will you do after the Conservatory?

The Lion & the Lamb in front of the theatre
This is certainly a question that has been on my mind lately, but to be 100% honest, I don’t know what will happen after I’m done. I feel strongly that, in some shape or form, the Lord will use me to be a light in the darkness that the entertainment world can be. As I mentioned earlier, I will have the chance to audition to be part of a paid Sight & Sound cast, but it’s not guaranteed that I will get in.

I love performing, but I also love writing, directing, administration, and theatre ministry! I could see the Lord using any or all of these passions to glorify Him in the days and years to come.

Details, please?

For those of you who love details, J I will be moving to the beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania in early January 2017. The program lasts one calendar year, so I will be in PA through December 2017. I will have a couple short breaks over the year where I may make it back to NC for the holidays, but not many! I believe the longest break may be five days. But hey—that’s the performer’s life!

Live animals on stage!
Since the program is based out of a professional theatre and not a university campus, I will need to find my own place to stay while I’m there, likely an apartment, with a roommate or two.

My living expenses for the year will include rent, food, health needs, car needs, and other daily expenses. Thankfully, I’ve already saved enough to cover the cost of tuition and about half of my living expenses for the year. 


THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN!

The amazing Lancaster landscape!
As I mentioned, I’ve been working diligently since September 2015 to earn tuition and living expenses for the year! However, even with all this hard work, I will still be about $3,000 short of my $22,000 goal come January. Even if I don’t make this goal, I know the Lord will provide in His way and timing! 

If you do feel compelled to give (even $10 could buy me a dinner!), you can send either cash or check, or send money online through PayPal (comment/message me for sending details). There will be no fees this way, while a fundraising company such as GoFundMe takes a percentage of donations for handling fees.


Thank you for reading! Thank you for giving, if you feel led! I am so, so, SO excited for what next year is going to bring!

~~~~

Love in Christ,
Ellie

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