Austin Willard

June 11 – 17 2024

3B Development Series

Tickets 

IN RESIDENCE: June 11 – 17, 2024

“Scouts Guide to Conquering Your Childhood Fear” wrestles with the immediacy of existentialism & accepting that all of the unknown in your life comes from fear. This play offers an answer to fear in all its forms. All stemming from the imagination of a child. It’s a piece of theater that asks for reflection from the audience as it takes you on a journey that makes you laugh, cry, and throws you from moment to moment with not a second to lose. This is a story with something to say and this urge to scream it, if needed.

Performances:
June 14 at 8pm, June 15 at 8pm, June 16 at 2pm
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour & 15 minutes
PRICE: $23.00
At IRT: 154 Christopher st. NYC #3B (third floor)
ADA Accessible
VISIT/CONTACT US»

Names of the artists, designers and production team:

Austin Willard (Playwright/Assistant Director) is a Junior BFA Acting Major with a minor in Creative Writing, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His written work has been featured at Manhattan Theatre Club & Rogue Theater Fest. Currently, he is having his play “Scouts Guide to Conquering Your Childhood Fear” workshopped with residency at IRT Theater, NYC. He is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School Drama (UNCSA).

Jeffrey Payton (Andrew Harris Jerome) is a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he is also an alumni of the UNCSA high school program for drama. Some recent stage roles include Tom Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Johnny in Night of The Living Dead, Caiaphas in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and Melchior in Spring Awakening. He is very excited to be making his New York theater debut! Big thank you to Austin and the rest of the team, as well as a huge thank you to his family, his girlfriend, and everyone back home for their endless support!

Xavier Henry (Shadow) has been acting for about 6 years and graduated with a BFA in Acting in 2023. He grew immensely as an artist during his time at UNCG, some notable performances include: Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Eugene in Periphery as part of the Amplify Black Voices Theatre Festival. After taking some time to recover from two Achilles tears following graduation, he’s thrilled to take the stage again with his good friend Jeffrey. Xavier is excited to bring Shadow to life in the form of a puppet & physically! It’s been a whirlwind of a process but he’s grateful for the opportunity to work on his craft with great friends.

Miller Koppang (Lighting Designer) and Theater-Maker based in Brooklyn, NY who graduated from Emerson College with a double major BFA in Design/Technology and Theater & Performance. Recent credits include: “Hamlet” at The Public Theater Hunts Point (Assistant Lighting Designer) JJJJJerome Ellis: Live at National Sawdust (Lighting Designer) Collective Thread, MODArts Dance Company (Lighting Designer) and AdCouncil’s Public Service Award Gala at Glasshouse (Assistant Lighting Designer).

Colin Smith (Fight Choreographer) is a rising Senior within the B.F.A. Acting class of 2025 at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). His experience on stage ranges from Jason in Lynn Nottage’s SWEAT to Flip Benham in Lisa Loomer’s ROE. Within the world of stage combat and fight choreography, his first project was choreographing fight sequences for a student-led workshop of Macbeth at UNCG alongside fellow fight choreographer, Chase Whitehurst. Colin was also the T.A. for UNCG’s Physical Violence for the Stage course taught by Jim Wren. He is excited to make this his second fight choreography project and would like to thank Austin Willard for the opportunity and the cast for being incredible actors and friends to work with.

Jon Galvez (Asst. Stage Manager) B.A. Drama major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They’ve worked on productions such as Sweat (2021), R.O.E (2023), Galatea (2023), and Percy Jackson & The Lighting Thief the Musical (2024). Their management skills start as a Café Supervisor at The Barnes and Noble College Licensed Starbucks (2021- ) at UNCG, and transfer over to the stage with active communication and problem solving in fast paced environments. These skills come from working various roles within the performing arts, such roles include (but are not limited too) Stage Management (2021-24), Workshop Coordinator (2022-23), Chair of Marketing (2020-21), Stage Crew, Lighting Design, and Sound Ops. (2018-24).

Josephine D’Arcy (Stage Manager) is delighted to be Stage Managing for a Scouts Guide to Conquering Your Fear! She is currently at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts getting a B.F.A in Design and Productions for Stage Management. Her career has been filled with various roles within productions, including Assistant Stage Managing UNCSA’s As You Like It (2023), Circle Mirror Transformation (2023), and Spring Dance (2024). Production Stage Managing pieces such as Anastasia (2022) and UNCSA’s Director Festival(2023). She also currently works at Arts Council a Winston-Salem and Forsyth County Non-Profit Theatre as a Production Associate.

Dominique Jakowec (Scenic Designer) is a Brooklyn based scenic and props designer and a freelance theatrical technician. Raised in Los Angeles, they graduated with a degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of Southern California where they were also a designer and board member of Aeneid Theatre Company. Dominique has done production work with professional companies in LA such as Center Theatre Group and Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. They recently made their New York debut with Houses, an original work by Reid Ivanoff and produced at the Tank. https://dominiquejakowec.myportfolio.com/

Nico Galloway (Props Manager/Designer)

IRT Theater is a grassroots laboratory for independent theater and performance in New York City, providing space and support to a new generation of artists. Tucked away in the old Archive Building in Greenwich Village,  IRT’s mission is to build a community of emerging and established artists by creating a home for the development and presentation of new work.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council; A.R.T./New York’s NYC Small Theatres Fund made possible with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation & support for ASL interpretation provided in part through funding from Access A.R.T./New York.

ACCESS: IRT is a fully wheelchair-accessible facility. Please reach out to Kori Rushton if you have any accessibility questions or concerns, krushton@irttheater.org

PLEASE NOTE: All sales final and there is no late seating at IRT Theater.