UPDATE: Street Theatre

As I write this, Craig Bazan (see July 18 post) is reaping the benefits of his hard work (and YouTube fame!).  This summer, he is an acting apprentice on full scholarship at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. The director of the Theatre, Bonnie J. Monte, told the story in her NJ Monthly blog of how Craig ended up with this summer apprenticeship:

Last fall, while listening to the car radio, I heard about an exciting video that had made its way to the home page of YouTube.  It featured an 18-year-old from Camden, standing in the middle of a deserted street corner performing a scene from Hamlet. 

I logged on, watched it, and was so impressed that we tracked the kid down and offered him a scholarship to our training program.  The only proviso was that he come in and audition.  He traveled to Manhattan a few weeks ago and gave one of the most astonishing auditions I have ever seen.

My line of work demands that I audition hundreds of people each year, and over the past three decades, I have probably witnessed at least 15,000 auditions.  Most end up as deletions from the memory bank, but others are indelibly burned into my brain by virtue of the horror they elicited, or they are beautifully etched in by virtue of their brilliance.  Perhaps at another time I will share an audition horror story or two. 

For now, I thought I’d start on a high note and share this extraordinary and inspiring experience. 

The young man’s name is Craig Bazan. He graduated from high school last summer and spent this academic year attending a community college in Camden.

His audition wasn’t polished (in the traditional sense of the word as it is applied to acting). In fact, it was raw and lacking in technique.  But this kid was so invested in the story and language, so passionate about the task of bringing Shakespeare to life, so bold in his choices and his interpretation, and so physically and mentally committed, that the room’s energy was jolted into a kind of held-breath stasis. 

Six seasoned theatre professionals sat open jawed.  It was like watching the emergence of a new, young, Paul Robeson.  And I thought, “Oh, oh, oh …if only this level of passion, dedication and courage was the common trait, and not the rarity, what could we not achieve on this Earth!?” 

Craig will join us this summer as an acting apprentice on a full scholarship. He will receive intensive training over eleven weeks. Apprentices take classes, work on various crews, sometimes act in non-speaking or small roles on stage.

 And today, Bonnie J. Monte provided an update on Craig’s progress:

In my very first entry, I mentioned an aspiring young actor from Camden named Craig Bazan, who we had “discovered” through a YouTube video. 

More than ever, I am convinced that this young actor holds great promise, and for anyone interested in seeing him in his first professional role, you can still catch him in King Lear through July 27th.

A number of people expressed interest in knowing more about him and about his time at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.

Craig has been a member of our Summer Professional Training Program for nine weeks now, and has been going through intensive training in voice, speech, movement, stage combat, and of course, acting. 

He was cast in my production of Lear as a member of the supporting ensemble.

In the three-hour performance each night, he plays a servant who undertakes a noble rescue; a soldier; and a herald. 

He has performed admirably, engaging in his training with vigor and determination. 

More than ever, I am convinced that this young actor holds great promise.

I do think he’s the kind of talent about whom one will be able to say, “I saw him when…” !

As Ms. Monte mentioned, you can catch Craig in his first professional role in King Lear through July 27th at the The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. CamdenCityKids looks forward to providing further updates about Craig’s burgeoning career in the future.