Tecumseh! 2024

I had the joy of being part of Tecumseh! 2024 for my first-ever solo gig post-college. I'm not sure where to begin, but I will start by saying that working on the production was a blast from the first read-through of the script. I knew I would be working

with talented individuals with the same passion and drive for theatre. Before coming to Chillicothe, I had no experience with horses, had minimal fight choreography work at this level, and had never been a tour guide. In Tecumseh, most of us actors had no prior training on how to ride a horse, let alone bareback. Still, we worked with our head equestrian trainer and his assistant to learn how horses work; I won't lie. I was nervous the first time I got on Smarty, the beautiful horse I got to work with for 58 shows. My cast mates kept telling me horses can pick up on our emotions, and that sentiment was true, but I was able to come out on top, and over time, I got more comfortable with the horses, and my riding ability progressed with each ride.

Before working on Tecumseh, I had done stage combat in other shows, like getting punched or a slap here and there, but never a full-out fight with weapons in the show. I was able to partake in three choreographed battles. Stage combat has always been something I loved, and I got to expand my knowledge. I also got to take a three-week course where I learned the unarmed fight style and how to use it on stage. At the end of the course, I got to perform a scene from August Wilson Fences in front of my stage combat teacher and an adjudicator, where I passed and received my certification in unarmed. Being a tour guide was something I never thought I would do.

I've been on plenty of guided tours, but being the person leading them is a whole different ballgame. Throughout the summer, I gave at least 30+ backstage tours to groups ranging from 2 people to over 100+. I had 24 paragraphs of information I had to memorize. I talked about Tecumseh and his life, how our stage came to be, how the horses were incorporated into the show, and had a live stage combat sequence my partner and I would show the patrons, among other things. To wrap things up, let me begin by saying that taking part in a show like Tecumseh has helped my artistry in many ways. I learned how to ride a horse, my stage combat advanced to the next level, and I was a tour guide. I also got to work on an important story that everyone should know about. It's an important historical piece that needs to be shared, whether you are an actor in the show or a patron watching from the house.