Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Kemp.
Hi Julia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and was raised by two local theatre actors. I spent my childhood tagging along to rehearsals with my parents and performing in youth productions. I never stopped performing, went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and within a few weeks of my freshman year, auditioned for “Les Mis” at the local community theatre call the Academy. I was cast and continued performing throughout my college years. Upon reaching the end of my senior year, I was hired as the Academy’s Artistic Director and have been here ever since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been far from a smooth road! The Academy relies heavily on our volunteers, for whom we are SO grateful! But because of that model, we sometimes have to deal with volunteer shortages and transitions that result in obstacles that we have both faced before and have never seen. I was also the Artistic Director during the 2020 shut down, at which point we were unsure of the Academy’s fate and the future of live theatre in general. Thankfully, the Academy continued on, but we had to do a lot of work to rebuild our support when we reopened. Live theatre in general involves constant challenges and obstacles often new and unique to specific productions, such as how to teach actors to tap and jump rope at the same time, how to fly an actor through a window, or how to build a full sized functioning car on stage. But, those new challenges are often what makes live theatre fun and exciting.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As the Artistic Director of a small community theatre, I wear many hats. My job is to make sure the show goes and and at the level of quality and professionalism our community expects from us. As a result I have stepped into many different roles. I have directed, choreographed, designed lights, ran sound, painted sets, sold tickets, and everything in between. I am proud of my and all of our staff and volunteer’s ability to adapt and be game for anything. Many of our actors have stepped into tech roles or joined the box office team, and some of our set builders have auditioned for shows. I try to lead by example that no one is destined for one confined role.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
When I first got involved at the Academy, I was an actor, and I certainly did not anticipate joining the staff, let alone becoming the Artistic Director. I was just starting college and had no idea what my trajectory was. All I knew was that I loved theatre and performing, and I because of that, I worked very hard to produce the best product I could. I have always had a lot of respect for the entire process, and displayed that respect through showing up, putting in the work, and being as involved as possible. Because of the work ethic I displayed as an actor, the production team and board of directors took note, leading to hiring me a few years later. My advice to anyone is to show up and put in the work. Let actions speak for themselves. The world really values a hard worker with a good head on their shoulders, and opportunities will present themselves to those that participate in their community and do it well. Because of the high quality intricate productions we execute as a community at the Academy, I’ve seen many volunteers make connections led to incredible opportunities beyond the theatre.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theacademytheatre.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_academy_theatre/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcademyTheatrePA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPR_zE6p_WR04FnxXz7SBUw/videos
