"...you know you cannot see yourself, so well as by reflection..." Julius Caesar

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Ashley N. Everage, a third year MFA candidate in the acting program at Rutgers, a beautiful actor, generous teacher, and for the purposes of Romeo y Julieta, Juliet's Nurse. Many thanks to her for taking the time to share her thoughts on working with our Apprentices.

"When I was first told that there would be an Apprentice Company joining the production that was comprised of high school students and recent high school grads I thought "oh, this should be interesting." We met over pizza and I was highly entertained and immediately brought back in time, in the best possible way. The inside jokes they share, their nicknames they had for one another and carefree natures they possess sent me to a simpler time. Oh, but don't get me wrong, these are not sheltered children.

They are hilarious, honest, opinionated and call a moment like they see it. When an 18 year old tells you, your Spanish is alright but it needs a lot of work because you sound French, you take that as truth and get down to business. And when they tell you that you are really great to watch and they really like your character, you thank them and your lucky stars and get back down to business. As I have worked with this group of individuals I see a group of young adults who need to be treated as such and I see a group of young Professionals who need to be respected as such.

John Keller and Jen Ring have provided a safe space for these young artists to trust themselves and each other as they stepped outside of their comfort zones and began to tackle this beast we call Shakespeare. I am having a great time with such a dedicated group of young people. And to be completely honest their acting ain't half bad either There is an enormous amount of raw talent within this group, so whether this artform becomes a hobby and a creative outlet or a career choice I have no doubt that coupled with hard work the possibilities are endless and wish them all the best of luck in the future. "

~Ashley N. Everage
NBTF Professional Company

Stay tuned for more of my thoughts, check-ins from other PCs and to meet the ACs in their own words (as soon as I figure out my video editing software.)

-Jen