“The importance of theater education is to make the world better because it makes more self reliant, more empathic, more encouraged, more well rounded people”. Corinna Sowers Adler in the Importance of Theater Education:The voices of children singing classic musical theater song echo through the halls of Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center. The mansion, constructed in 1895, is decorated with patterned carpets and natural light glimmering from the multitude of windows, showing the facility’s age and adding to the beauty of the architecture and the garden outside. The smells of the aged wood panelling and sheet music work in tandem with the melodic voices of children to create an atmosphere that feels alive. A stronger voice, with more experience, knowledge, and maturity rises an octave higher than the rest, encouraging them and making corrections when necessary. This is the voice of Corinna Sowers Adler. Corinna Sowers Adler is a cabaret performer, vocal coach, and director. In 2009, she held the position of Director of Theater at Wilkes University Conservatory, and the Artistic Director of Children’s Theater at the Historic Pocono and Bucks County Playhouses. Corinna is also the cofounder of Nicori Studios & Productions, alongside her husband, where she has provided vocal instruction for over 15 years. She has performed in a wide variety of locations in the past decade; most notably, 54 Below, Stage 72 at the Triad, and several Annual Cabaret Conventions. She was nominated for the 2012 MAC Award, as well as the 2012, 2015, and 2016 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards in Best female Vocalist and Best Host of a Variety Show. This incredibly extensive and impressive resume is completed by her four Tony Award nominations in for Excellence in Theater Education. Despite all of these accomplishments, Corinna is a humble person who strives to help her students grow as performers. I was nervous when sitting down to interview Corinna because of her notable success and her boisterous personality that commands the attention of anyone in the room. These views changed during the interview however, because I was able to see the more vulnerable side of my director and mentor. She always reminds her students to refrain from using “kind of” and “like” when speaking; however, the confident performer was stuttering over her words from time to time in attempt to find the perfect way to describe the craft she loves so much. “My motto is Educate. Inspire. Entertain, and it does all these things for me too,” says Corinna when asked what teaching young performers means to her. The production company she began with her husband works towards inspiring students using the aforementioned motto. Corinna talked about several of her student over the years, one of which seems to hold a special place in her heart. This student first came to Corinna as a nervous 8-year old who was a timid singer and actress, but her talent began to shine through as she gained more confidence. Several years later, this student is a prominent member of Nicori Studios & Productions who is unafraid to voice her opinion and step into the spotlight. The growth seen in this student and countless others shows that Corinna truly loves helping her student grow into better performers and more confident people. “The importance of theater education is to make the world better because it makes more self reliant, more empathic, more encouraged, more well rounded people”, says Corinna when asked about the importance of theater education. She is also never hesitant to thank and acknowledge the people who help her when directing. She responds that her favorite thing about her job in theater education is the people she gets to work with: both students and those behind the scenes. Throughout the entire interview she gave credit to her students, saying they motivate her to work hard and always have a positive attitude when stepping into a studio. She learns from them as much as they learn from her, creating better people both onstage and behind the scenes. The voices ricocheting off the wood panels and the smiles glowing under the chandeliers slowly faded as the Wednesday night rehearsal came to a close. The students left the mansion for the night and I had reached the last of my questions for Corinna. “What is the best part about your job?”: “When someone asks me what the best part about my job is, I never say I’m going to work… I always say I’m going to rehearsal or I’m going to teach.”
1 Comment
Danielle Carbone
11/11/2018 04:11:29 pm
I have had the pleasure of knowing Corinna for several years now and must say the author of this article Ava Rakowski, has definitely captured who Corinna is & what she is about. Beautiful writing Ava!!!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Archives |