Five Young Performers in this Country You Should Know (2020)!
Kevin Ray Johnson
My entire career I have always been excited and inspired by young performers who get hit by the theatre bug. Theatre and the performing art gave me direction and something to strive for, and no matter how tough the times are, I know that it is something I can always look forward to (even in this pandemic). The five young artists I am sharing with you are all artists I have worked with or crossed paths with in my career that truly stuck out to me.
They all have abilities on stage that I nowhere near had at their age, and to top it off, they have some of the most amazing energy and personalities I have ever come across not only in theatre, but in my entire life. Here are five young performers in this country that you should know!
Olivia Milholland
I fell in love with this young lady as a performer the first time I saw her perform. Olivia is a part of the Reflex Dance Art's Pre-Professional Program as well as the Booker High School's VPA Theatre program and has performed there in shows such as Children of Eden (Aysha) and She Kills Monsters. She has also performed at the Florida Studio Theatre in their production of What Carlee Knows and at Rise Above Performing Arts in Grease (Patty Simcox) and The Florida Premiere of The Love Note. In my eyes, Olivia embodies one of my favorite quotes which is "Every Moment is Another Opportunity". With a great attitude and an infinite amount of talent to back it up, it truly excites me to see where Olivia will end up!
Tyler Bowlin
Tyler is a Theater Major at Millikin University. He is a talented performer who has several regional credits already under his belt which include Birthday Candles (John), Mamma Mia, and The Little Mermaid (Flotsam) at The Myers Dinner Theatre. The sky is the limit for this talented, versatile young man who has such an amazing and bright future ahead of him!
Sophie Miller
Sophie is originally from Carmel, IN and a Musical Theatre Major (BFA) at Millikin University this fall. Some of Sophie's favorite credits include Carrie: The Musical (Helen) at Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre and Tarzan (Jane). I think we all know that attitude determines your altitude (especially in this industry) and Sophie has such a wonderful attitude to back up her crystal-clear talent for the stage. I am very excited to see where this young lady ends up!
Owen DeMaio
Will be heading into his Sophomore Year at Booker High School where he is a part of their VPA Theatre Program led by the incomparable Scott Keys. Some of his credits include performing at Rise Above Performing Arts in Sarasota, Florida in their productions of West Side Story (Tony), The Addams Family (Lurch), 13 (Archie), Narnia (Professor). "Owen is a young person who is not afraid of taking chances and making choices on the stage!" says Rise Above Resident Choreographer Rachael Henry Johnson. Having the privilege to see this young man work, I think he can truly play any role, make it his own, and just knock it out of the park. He is someone who you truly want in your show when you are casting. He has such an amazing commitment to his craft that I have rarely seen in someone his age!
Reagan Minnette
Reagan is a recent graduate of Crawfordsville High School in Indiana. She has appeared on many stages in Central Indiana. Some of her favorite shows and roles include Shrek and The Addams Family (Wednesday). Reagan's talent and energy draw you to her when you see her perform on stage, and I can strongly attest that whether she is ensemble or the title role, Ms. Minnette will always succeed and give you 100% in her performance. Reagan was born to be on the stage!
To learn more about the companies mentioned in this article make sure you visit - Rise Above Performing Arts: www.riseabovearts.com; Myers Dinner Theatre: www.myersdt.com; Booker High School VPA: www.bookervpa.com; Millikin University Theatre & Dance: https://millikin.edu/theatre; Pipe Dream Studio Theatre: www.pdtheatre.org