American Samoa Community College

Press Releases

05/08/2009

June 17, 2009 - Eight ASCC Students Accepted to Broadway Theatre Project
by Jim Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer

Please place mouse over images on the left to see larger images here.

Theatrical publication Playbill calls the Broadway Theatre Project (BTP), "the world's most prestigious musical theatre arts education program for high school and college students." Founded in 1991 and held in Tampa Bay, Florida, the BTP offers students an intensive three-week training program focused on the key disciplines of musical theatre, including acting, dance, voice and the many facets of each, as well as the critical life skills necessary to prepare them to work in the professional world of entertainment. With emphasis not only placed on the individual art forms, but also on the collaborative process and collective creation, the BTP describes its mission as, "to provide educational excellence and to mold a creative, collaborative, well rounded, professional musical theatre arts performer."

Given the worldwide prestige associated with the BTP, it may come as a surprise to some that this summer will mark the third year in a row that students from the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) will attend this renowned training program. The BTP has accepted eight ASCC students, based on auditions they submitted on video under the direction of the College's drama and dance instructor Carmela Gallace. Some of the eight have studied under Gallace for as long as two years, while others have worked with her as briefly as a single semester. In auditioning for the BTP, the ASCC students entered a competition with some of their most talented peers from across the nation.

The lucky eight from the College who "made the cut" in the BTP auditions are Latarah Ah See, Lawrence Fernandez, Ace Fuimaono, Leiema Hunt, Taumaia Magalei, Wesley Solaita, Fa'afetai Shane Ta'afua, and Ruth Tuasivi. Two of the group, Tuasivi and Ta'afua, attended the BTP last summer and made such a positive impression on the faculty that they received invitations to return this year. ASCC will assist these students with Fine Arts Department scholarship funds to cover their BTP tuition, but they had to raise their own travel funds to and from Florida through individual initiative and the support of their families and community. "For these students, getting accepted meant they had to face the challenge of arranging their own resources to get to the BTP," said Gallace, "and all of them proved their commitment by making sure this happened."

Three years ago, Gallace organized the process that resulted in the first group of ASCC performers gaining acceptance to the BTP, filming the audition videos herself and walking the students through the application process, a task which she says has gotten no easier with time, but still has always proved worth the effort. "I really believe in the potential of the young people of American Samoa to succeed in the entertainment industry," she says. "Because of its reputation, theatrical agents from across the country attend the BTP to spot fresh young talent, and many BTP students have ended up being offered professional opportunities based on the performances these agents observe. So besides receiving training from some of the most experienced professionals in the field of musical theater, attending the BTP can also lead to careers for aspiring performers."

Gallace will accompany the eight students to the event, after which she will take leave from her position at ASCC to concentrate on studying for an advanced degree in Performing Arts in New York City . "Working with the students in American Samoa for the past four years has proved truly inspiring," she reflected. "At first many people expressed skepticism that our students could give quality performances in western style theater, but the productions we've staged have proved the skeptics wrong time and time again. We couldn't have done it without the wholehearted backing of the ASCC administration, faculty and staff, as well as some key supporters in the community who contributed financial resources to our productions and to the Fine Arts Scholarship program that's made this summer's BTP trip possible." While the ASCC Fine Arts Department has no immediate plans for forthcoming stage productions, its chairman Namulauulu Dr. Paul Pouesi said the department will for the time being focus its energies on more public activities involving art and music.

The Broadway Theatre Project 2009 summer session will culminate in a three day festival at the University of South Florida . For more information on the BTP, visit their web page at: www.broadwaytheatreproject.com.