“Confident,” “bold,” “daring” and “kind” can’t even begin to describe the performers Julia Halpern and Ava Guerriero, December’s students of the month. These stars have been working since the beginning of the school year to put on RepCo’s 2023 production: Freaky Friday.
Ava and Julia have both been acting since they were only five years old. Julia acted in Cinderella and instantly loved the feeling of being onstage, and Ava acted in The Little Mermaid at Penn Charter Performing Arts Camp. Ava has always loved the spotlight; she enjoys seeing the reaction of the audience as she is performing. Both girls feel that they are safe and at home when they are on the stage.
Surprisingly, Freaky Friday was only the second time Ava and Julia performed at AIS, where they played the lead roles of Ellie Blake and Katherine Blake. Ava recalls the day auditions were announced, when she “immediately started looking up the show” and knew she wanted to be the lead.“I resonated so much with Ellie, minus the emo,” she says. Julia had watched the show at a different school and immediately fell in love with Katherine, so when the opportunity came about she knew just which role she wanted to go for.
Both felt blessed to be in the cast of Freaky Friday, agreeing that “It was a really fun experience.” Their favorite part of being in such an inclusive and friendly cast was making new friends, especially the unexpected ones. They felt that the show was a great opportunity for individuals in different grades to mix and build friendships as they got to work closely with people with all different interests. As the leads of the musical, they consciously took on leadership roles, setting an example for the rest of the cast and working to support underclassmen.
Ava and Julia said that the cast was like a big family with each person willing to help others practice their lines or memorize complicated stage directions. One cast member said, “Ava and Julia were always so supportive and willing to help” and another cast member felt that working with Ava and Julia helped them nurture their love for acting.
As for performing, all actors have their unique tips and tricks for every performance. Ava and Julia had so much advice to give. Their methods included playing the soundtrack nonstop to memorize their solos, running lines and lyrics in their spare minutes, and playing out scenes in their head to fix little mistakes from previous rehearsals. When asked for their acting tips, Julia and Ava replied: “act when you sing, facial expressions make lasting impressions,” and also: “maintaining energy and confidence is more important than being perfect, so don’t let little mistakes throw you off.”
The final days of the musical were filled with so many tears and last laughs. Both are very excited to graduate but are sad to leave AIS. After graduation, Ava plans to major in psychology, and Julia intends to study health and exercise science. Julia says, “I will miss AIS, but I am excited to live on my own, meet new people and try new things.”
