What if your passion could transform you from a hesitant newcomer to a shining star? Join us on this exciting premiere episode of "Steps to the Stage-Drama Department," where we spotlight the incredible journey of Giorgio Haddad, a 17-year-old actor who embarked on his theatrical path thanks to his mother's encouragement. Giorgio opens up about his initial doubts about becoming a "theater kid" and shares the thrilling experience of his first audition that led to his debut role in "The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens." Through his story, we celebrate the vibrant drama departments in local schools and the importance of nurturing young talent.
Ever wondered how community theater differs from high school productions? Giorgio gives us an insider’s look into both worlds. After wrapping up his junior year, Giorgio took a leap into the community theater scene, landing multiple roles in "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief: The Musical." He reveals the supportive, family-like atmosphere at the 7th Street Theater, contrasting it with the sometimes more stressful environment of high school theater. Giorgio’s experiences highlight the unique dynamics and the sense of belonging that community theater can offer, even under pressure.
But that’s not all—proper theater etiquette and professionalism are crucial for aspiring actors. Giorgio and I discuss the journey of learning these principles, from high school drama departments to community theater and beyond. We touch on the impact of popular productions like Hamilton and Wicked in bringing theater to the mainstream, and how this podcast aims to spotlight the remarkable work of drama departments in the Inland Empire. Giorgio’s journey from high school plays to community productions, coupled with his ambitions in film, serves as a testament to the continuous growth and learning in the world of acting. Tune in to hear more about Giorgio’s inspiring story and the thriving theater communities that foster young talent.
What if your passion could transform you from a hesitant newcomer to a shining star? Join us on this exciting premiere episode of "Steps to the Stage-Drama Department," where we spotlight the incredible journey of Giorgio Haddad, a 17-year-old actor who embarked on his theatrical path thanks to his mother's encouragement. Giorgio opens up about his initial doubts about becoming a "theater kid" and shares the thrilling experience of his first audition that led to his debut role in "The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens." Through his story, we celebrate the vibrant drama departments in local schools and the importance of nurturing young talent.
Ever wondered how community theater differs from high school productions? Giorgio gives us an insider’s look into both worlds. After wrapping up his junior year, Giorgio took a leap into the community theater scene, landing multiple roles in "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief: The Musical." He reveals the supportive, family-like atmosphere at the 7th Street Theater, contrasting it with the sometimes more stressful environment of high school theater. Giorgio’s experiences highlight the unique dynamics and the sense of belonging that community theater can offer, even under pressure.
But that’s not all—proper theater etiquette and professionalism are crucial for aspiring actors. Giorgio and I discuss the journey of learning these principles, from high school drama departments to community theater and beyond. We touch on the impact of popular productions like Hamilton and Wicked in bringing theater to the mainstream, and how this podcast aims to spotlight the remarkable work of drama departments in the Inland Empire. Giorgio’s journey from high school plays to community productions, coupled with his ambitions in film, serves as a testament to the continuous growth and learning in the world of acting. Tune in to hear more about Giorgio’s inspiring story and the thriving theater communities that foster young talent.
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Speaker 1:
So tell us a little bit more about how you got involved in 7th Street Theater. Oh, yes, I would love to get into that.
Speaker 3:
So the lights are on the curtains up. This is Steps to the Stage.
Speaker 1:
And welcome to Steps to the Stage drama department. This is episode one. This is trailer. This is meet your host. This is Trailer. This is Meet your Host. This is as a podcast. We're really excited that we are finally moving into this realm. We've been talking about this, it's been in our discussion, in our description, on the website from the beginning, on all of our social media. Welcome everyone. My name is Kirk Lane producer, engineer, sometimes host, and I am so excited to have Giorgio.
Speaker 2:
Thank you so much for having me yeah, no, no, you know.
Speaker 1:
Thank you, this is pretty exciting for us. A couple of weeks ago we were here at the theater and the Seven Street Superstars were rehearsing and we were recording the episode for the Three on the Edge Festival that was just happening. Um, I went in. Uh, you know, ask, asked obviously Ms Donna and Ms Jesse was okay If I go, go in? And they said yes and came up and said hey, uh.
Speaker 1:
I want to talk to you before the end of the end of the day, end of the morning, end of your rehearsal. You know, a short time later you, you came in to where we're recording, which is we're actually in the uh, the women's dressing room theater. So, oddly enough, it's got carpet and it's got wigs, and it's got some clothes and stuff.
Speaker 1:
So it's, while it's a little weird sometimes we're recording here, it's actually great from a sound perspective. But you came in here and we had a discussion and we'd asked if you're interested in coming on board to be a host for what is going to be our latest endeavor and that steps Steps to the Stage, because we want to keep that same name and that same focus, because that's really what it all started about is Steps to the Stage and obviously, moving to drama department, and for drama department, our goal was to just, really, more than anything, highlight specifically the high school drama departments in the area, but we also have a number of junior colleges and colleges that will have very active drama departments, very active theater departments, and what's great is we actually have, um, uh, seventh street theater alumni that are going into college and getting their degrees and and moving on and doing regional theater and doing Broadway and doing, you know, doing movies, doing everything else, and so you know that needed to be highlighted. And so we had some discussions and we had familiarity with you from your time with a couple of the productions that were done here at seven street theater and then also being involved with the superstars, and you just have an energy about you and which is positive, and you have a very obvious love for acting and everything about it, whether it's on stage, whether whether it's you know, choir, whether it's at school, whether it's here, whether it's with the, you know, with the superstars troupe, whether it's auditions that are happening, you know, in LA Hollywood, burbank, that nature they're happening. So I have been talking for so much, but that just really is hopefully shows those that are listening out there the excitement.
Speaker 1:
Giorgio, introduce yourself.
Speaker 2:
Thank you so much. My name is Giorgio Haddad. I am 17 years old. I've been acting for quite some time. Let me backtrack here.
Speaker 2:
So when I was a kid I would like to joke around a lot and, you know, do all sorts of fun stuff with my family and my mom was like, well, you know, you should be an actor. And I'm like, ew, why would I want to be such a creature of an actor? She was like, trust me, one day you're going to do it. And I was like, okay, so I went on to different careers, like music, so I did violin. I did some soccer music. So I did violin. I did some soccer, yeah, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing for a little bit. But for some reason it didn't click to me until my sophomore year of high school where, um, I was, you know, in school, one of my friends. Um, she told me she was like you should join theater and you go to school locally. I go to school locally yes, that's correct at chino high school, chino high school. All right, being a theater kid and theater kids are weird. Why would I want to do that? And, honestly, I was the biggest hater and I couldn't be more wrong, because now I am a theater kid, yeah, and I'm proud to be one, yeah.
Speaker 2:
So my first theater audition. I walked in the room and it was nerve wracking because I didn't know what to do. They just handed me a script and like read this. And then I see people doing accents and stuff and I was like should I bounce off of them? And so I did it. And then the director was like, wow, he's like, kid, you got talent. And I was like, dude, I just read the lines, you know Nice. So that's when I got casted in my first show Okay, it was called the Plot, like Gravy Thickens, and I played this character called Roy, okay, and he was like this accountant. So I enjoyed it. I met some beautiful, amazing people in the theater company and I'm grateful for them, and so yeah.
Speaker 1:
And this was at the high school.
Speaker 2:
This was at the high school. This was at the high school.
Speaker 1:
That is great. So it was a theater production at the high school. Okay, I love it. Drama department yes.
Speaker 2:
So shout out to the drama department but yeah, it was amazing ever since then, and we had two schools. Actually, we had an old building, okay, and so we were actually performing in a cafetorium, got it, and so it got demolished and now we have a theater.
Speaker 1:
And a very nice theater. I'm told I've yet to attend, but I'm told it's very, very nice.
Speaker 2:
It's very nice.
Speaker 1:
There's some elements where I'm like eh, you know, but that's just me being picky. Yeah, you're going to find that. And yeah, I travel, I, for a living. I produce shows, so I travel around and do some corporate shows and it's you know, it's different theaters, different venues. There's some great things and then there's some things that obviously you wish you could improve. Yeah, yeah, but still it's great. I think you know that, you know, I know similar of similar schools are are in their multipurpose room, or you know it's not in a theater.
Speaker 1:
Schools are in their multipurpose room, or you know it's not in a theater, right? Yeah, yeah. And just this past weekend we went to the showcase at the Ontario's theater. Yes, and it was amazing to, you know, be in the theater, real theater seats. You're, you know you're at the angle, you've got a full stage, you've got an actual drape, you've got an amazing sound system, amazing lighting system. You know it's, it's, there's something, there's something to that. I know we do some amazing things on on our little stage here, but, man, when you get into those big venues and those big theaters, it, it, it definitely, uh, I'd say it ups the game a little bit, yeah, ups the game a little bit, a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:
I was honestly very shocked when I went. I said you guys have automatic curtain openers or like a machine.
Speaker 3:
I was so shocked.
Speaker 1:
I was like, oh my goodness, at a high school, at a high school. So you're younger, your parents take you to some auditions. You run into a little bit of disappointment there. You get a little bit older, you're in high school, you audition, you get a role, and then what happens from there? Where does your theater journey take you? And where does your acting journey take you? Because I know it goes beyond just the theater.
Speaker 2:
Well, I'm very blessed and fortunate that it got better, and so we've transferred to our news building and it got finished and our first production was in a black box theater. I got casted in four roles, wow, and so I would play one role one night and then three the other. Right, it was very fun and it was the closest I've been to an audience, especially. I was like probably like 10 feet away. Yeah, I wasn't even, you know.
Speaker 1:
So you're really getting that energy of the audience.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Right. So there's the difference between the smaller theater and the bigger theater. Bigger theater obviously it's great to have, you know, all of those modern conveniences and the tech, but there is something, because what are we up there for? Right, we're hoping to enact an emotion right out of the audience, and so when you're in close, yeah, that can change your, change your performance a little bit.
Speaker 2:
Oh yeah, absolutely. I was honestly terrified, yeah, and, and I was like you know, I got to stick to this script and so it was good. We did a production of that. It was called ghost light, okay, so I've enjoyed it, the company have enjoyed it and company of the new building, okay, so it felt it felt very, I felt very honored. Yeah, this feels nice.
Speaker 1:
Paving the way for future. Absolutely, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:
And then we were waiting for the main stage theater to finish construction. Okay, and they did around March, I think or January, and so we had our first play, which was called our town, by Thorne Wilder. I love it which was called Our Town by Thorne Wilder.
Speaker 1:
I love it, love it. They did a production of it here a few years back.
Speaker 2:
Yes, I see, and I was like, yeah, it was amazing. And I got casted as Georgia Gibbs the year before. I was like, oh my goodness, George Gibbs is a lead. I've never played a lead ever before, I've only played a supporting lead. So, thanks to my director and he's given me so many opportunities and I'm very, very grateful from the bottom of my heart that he's given me these opportunities so I performed the show and it was incredible. The cast and crew was amazing as well. So shout out to the tech and crew as well.
Speaker 1:
They don't get enough spotlight, yeah you are preaching to the choir here. This whole podcast started out with learning how to make a production and it was very important for us when we did our first episodes to make sure. We talked about lighting, we talked about audio, we talked about set design, we talked about how those are as much a character as any actor is. Right, yeah, the door, and you want to kind of leave that world behind and you want to turn, and when the lights come on, you want to feel like you're in the play or in the musical. So, um, we agree 100%. Obviously that's uh, the, the, everything that goes into a production is is so important and and it supports the actors that are on stage. Right, if you know you have that support, you know you have a solid, you know stage manager that's running things and you know things are going to be taken care of, quick changes, all that other good stuff in the back. So, anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely Like the. I think that it's like the lifeline of the whole show. And the tech is back there, you know, working their butts off Like I see them. They're. They're sweating and I'm like you know, working their butts off Like I see them. They're sweating and I'm like you know I feel bad. So shout out to the techs and all the stage groups you guys do an amazing job and make a whole difference.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely so. Tell us a little bit more about how you got involved in 7th Street Theater oh yes, I would love to get into that.
Speaker 2:
So after my junior year we got done with Lion King Jr the production. I was like I want to do more acting. I don't want to stay home, you know, rotting in bed. And I was like I want to do more acting, you know, I can't get enough of it. And so one of my friends, he was like, hey man, like have you checked out the community theater? And I was like, no, honestly, I haven't. He was like like all right, here he prints me the contracts, he prints me all the conflict dates and I was like I don't know this show. And, by the way, this show is called percy jackson and the lightning thief, the musical, wonderful yes yes, I had no idea.
Speaker 2:
I'm sorry, miss allison, if you're listening to this miss marley lay I had no I.
Speaker 2:
I know percy jackson. I had no clue there was a musical Right. And so I was like all right, you know, I'll audition for Grover. I think I have the hair, but I don't know if I have him. You know, particularly like you know the character. So I went in and you know I enjoyed the audition, every process of it. The directors made it 50,000 times better. I was very comfortable. That's great.
Speaker 2:
And then after I, after the auditions, I was like I think I did good. I wasn't very confident. I got any sort of role. And then I had to get. I get a call from Miss Allison and she sends my mom a voice message because I didn't answer my phone. I fell asleep right after I got back home and so I give her a call back and she goes. She goes, hi, we would love to offer you the role as Hades and Gabe and ensemble. And I was like, okay, and the first thing that I asked from the top of my head and I feel so dumb, it's so funny I was like which one who's on stage the longest? And there was this long pause and Miss.
Speaker 3:
Allison was.
Speaker 2:
Like you know, I'm offering you both roles right, and I was like I'll take both then and she was like, okay, perfect, nice. And then from there, you know, rehearsals. I met some amazing people at the community theater and I felt very welcomed, great, with open arms, and it was like a second family. So I enjoyed it. The production was amazing and very memorable, and so how?
Speaker 1:
would you compare a production at a community theater versus your high school theater? Oh, see.
Speaker 2:
Now, that's the real question. I get a lot. Well, the difference is that it's all depending on the directors.
Speaker 2:
I would say so the environments are obviously, you know they're different because one's at a community, the other one's at school. So at school it's right after we get done our academic learning and so we're all exhausted. But it's also, I think, we have there's more etiquette at the community theater. Okay, because everyone is still respectful, no matter how like stressed they are, and if they were, you know they would apologize. This one time during the show, miss Allison was stressed out but no one knew and she thought everyone saw her and she goes oh guys, I'm so sorry and we're like we didn't even know you were frustrated. Nice, but it shows the director cares and stuff. However, at high school, when people are frustrated, people tend to take it out on people a lot, and I see it. So it happens. Drama upon drama.
Speaker 2:
It's right in the name you know Drama in the drama department. But yeah, I just think that there needs to be more, a little bit of more etiquette at a high school, because, again, it's a high school after all. But there'll be, like, some times where, like I won't even have etiquette at high school, so it's including me sometimes too.
Speaker 1:
But I think this is great and I think this is one of the reasons why we wanted to start this podcast right, just to talk about some of those differences, yeah, and to have those that get the opportunity to either work in, you know, community theater or, you know, we have, we have performers here that have performed on the hollywood bowl and and have, you know, done stuff you know, here in town, meaning in the la and ho area, and and we've had, you know, we have had many actors that have come from here that have gone on to Broadway and done other regional shows and, you know, hopefully, because there's, I think, more of a focus and more of an outlet for theater than there might've been in the past, and I think a lot of that has come from the popularity of, you know, the, the, the Hamiltons and and Wicked and Dear Evan Hansen and all of those. I think it's caught, it's brought a mainstream focus to it, right, yeah, yeah, disney as well has done a great job of creating musicals of of their movies as well, absolutely. So I really think with this podcast, what we have the opportunity to do is to give that forum for, for the drama departments, right, for the, the schools and then, and then you know what happens, giorgio, as you go from that theater department you go to a community. You know community theater, and then you go to a junior college or a college and then it just each time it's a whole nother level of etiquette and professionalism and experience, right and and, and you hope that those that have the opportunity to go from one to the other can kind of impart some of those etiquettes and some of that knowledge that's based there. So I think that's one thing we hope to get from this particular podcast that you're going to be hosting is to go into all the schools, and that really is our goal is, in the Inland Empire, we want to get to Chino, don Lugo, chino Hills, ayala, claremont has a very active program and there's a few others out there that we want to take a look at and we want to highlight their productions that are going on.
Speaker 1:
But we also want to find out about, hey, what are your resources and how is the community helping, or how is your boosters helping? I know I've been really involved with my kids and one has just graduated with helping or how is your, your boosters, helping? I know I've been really involved with my kids and, and one is just graduated with a theater production degree and one's going into college, uh, uh, with a theater major as well. So you know, for me as a, as a parent, I want to make sure that they have, you know, a job to go to, right, cause it's, it's uh, there's a, there's a lot that's out there and you know I'd like to segue in. I know I've seen you post several times. It's not just theater. I've seen you go and audition for roles and I would assume that you're there for movies or for television, or tell us more about that in that process.
Speaker 2:
So, yeah, thank you, I would love to talk about it. So it was during December and during Christmas break and I was laying in bed and I'm like, okay, I want to be in a movie. And my mom was like, okay, how are you going to do that? And so it started off. I downloaded this one app it's called Backstage, okay and I got this year's subscription thingy and I started submitting a lot of stuff and then I got called back for this one movie.
Speaker 2:
I'm not really sure what the details were about it, but I went and it was filmed in Venice Beach High School and it was my first somewhat role. I played a, it was an extra role, it was a stoner. So my mom got like upset. She goes why did you have to play this one guy? He's smoking and I'm like I wasn't even smoking. It felt nice, you know, in front of a camera and it felt very scary. Yeah, I, you know, seeing a camera, I was like I was pretty intimidated by it. Yeah, I, you know, seeing a camera, I was like I was pretty intimidated by it. Yeah, but the director was lovely and hey, there was free food.
Speaker 1:
I'm already sold, I was like okay, craft services baby, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:
Nice. And then another one was like through a communication, my friend, okay, he told me he was like oh, you know this one guy, he's directing this one movie. You should text him. And I was like texting him, he's not going to respond. He literally responded. I texted him, he responded and you know, it all worked out. We haven't figured out the filming dates yet, right, but I think just the joy of being on set is just seeing how it's done.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
With, like, the mics and, honestly, the funny lighting, though oh yeah, you know, I thought I would have been like more into the acting.
Speaker 1:
I'm intrigued in how it's made, yeah, and it's so cool seeing especially since you have so many different opportunities nowadays with real sets versus, you know, a virtual set right right or something that's going to be cgi.
Speaker 1:
So you've got a little bit of both and cgi has gotten to the point now where it's hard to tell what's real and what's not. But it's good to kind of see all of the different formats and you know, going back to you, I think it's great that you've had this involvement in these, in these different projects movies, you know television, and I feel like you're going to do some more and I feel like you're going to audition some more and you know you've. You took the experience from high school and you've done some community theater. You got involved. Tell me about the seventh street superstars. You're you're a part of that as well.
Speaker 2:
Oh yes, the funny, the funny story behind how I got into it was this was the last day of auditions, okay, and my mom was driving me back from my friend's house and I was on the road and it was like 1130. My friend Sebastian, who was also in Superstars, okay, he sends me a text. He goes, hey, are you auditioning for Superstars? And I was like, oh yeah, it's that one group. He was like I was like, yeah, I'll audition tomorrow. He's like no better step on the gas. I got to audition Midnight or noon, midnight.
Speaker 1:
It was 12 am, oh, when he called you.
Speaker 2:
When he called me, he texted me like around 11. Oh, got it. So it was nighttime and I got home and I was so exhausted I was like should I? And so I was like what's the best monologue I could pull off? And I'm like, okay, haunted Mansion, disneyland, Nice. I'm like, okay, that's a pretty solid one. What song should I do? I did suddenly see more from Little Shop of Horrors because I had my blue light glasses. I was like, okay.
Speaker 1:
So you had to submit a video of it by midnight. That's what you're referring to. Sorry, I wasn't quite connecting the dots.
Speaker 2:
Sorry. No, mine was Okay, okay, but it progressively got worse because my video was not uploading and it was past 12. So I kept texting Miss Donna and she was like no, no, it's fine. And then I got to you know then person, and you know it went good. And then you know I'm blessed to be part of superstars. It's, you know, my first and last year, but I've learned a lot and I'm very grateful yeah.
Speaker 1:
That's good that you got at least a year and I know it's been fantastic. I know we've we've had many guests that have been on here, and Colin and and Joey have both been a part of the superstars group, so we had a nice, we did a nice episode with superstars as well. So that's. But I'm glad you got that opportunity because I think you're working with other very motivated and dedicated actors and some that have been here for a while and some that are new to the program and are new to some of the productions that are here. So I think it's good that you have that mix and that you can also bring the experience that you have from high school and the experience you have from doing the stuff in in, you know, hollywood and Burbank and in that area where you're filming. So I think you've got a wide breadth of experience.
Speaker 1:
But I especially again, as I mentioned before, your passion for it, I think, is what we're really excited about and, as you'd mentioned, learning, and I think it'll be great for these other drama departments in these other schools to get the chance to interact with you and, just, you know, expand that community as well, because there's other great theaters, community theaters as well, which is another podcast that we're looking to move into to cover more of the Inland Empire outside of our, our wonderful theater here.
Speaker 1:
But it's it's a great tool and it's a great communication. You know for us that we get information out and hopefully we get more people to come to our, to our, to our productions and and you know we want to or being on a movie or being in TV or whatever else, but so many of them that come back and either teach or they direct or they stage, manage or they act in the adult theater as well. So I love um the community that this has. You know, theater in general, specifically our theater we're we're biased as well, but we know there's other great programs out there, which is why you're here, so that we can learn more about the other schools and the other programs so well, it's been fantastic to get to know you.
Speaker 1:
We are very, very excited about getting this project off and we're very excited about, you know, getting some plans together over the summer and then, you know, really hitting it hard next year. And I believe you and I had a discussion and you just recently graduated, correct? Yep, I recently graduated, and so schooling is going to continue and possibly theater's going to continue.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely Schooling, definitely theater. For sure, there's a lot of auditions. I've landed this one role in this found footage. I think it's a horror film, I'm not sure. More to come on that one, but I'm so excited it's all good. Yeah, thank you so much. Theater's been a very big change in my life. And movies, acting, performing arts I look at it as like a live form of art. It's like looking at a painting that's moving, yep, and it's just such a beautiful way of telling a story and it's a great way.
Speaker 1:
I agree 100%, and that's why we started this podcast and that's why we're really excited about growing this podcast. Believe me, we didn't even think we would get to this point, but the fact that we're talking about branching out to drama department and then branching out to Inland Empire Steps to the Stage is pretty exciting for us and exciting to bring you on, obviously not only because of your experience but, again, the energy that we think you're going to bring to it. So thank you so much for your time and we look forward to it. And don't forget to subscribe to all of our social media channels. Please also like, follow us and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform it really does make a difference and also writing reviews on the social medias and share and tell your friends. Thanks everyone. Have a great evening.
Speaker 3:
Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage, and now it's time for the curtain call. You can follow us on Spotify, Apple, Google or any podcasting platform. We have videos up on YouTube and you can visit our website at stepstothestagebuzzsproutcom. And, as always, a special thank you to our audio engineer, Joey Rice, and our producer, Kirk Lane. Without the two of you, this show would not be possible.
