Geva Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol” has become something of a holiday tradition here in the Rochester region.
Those planning their annual pilgrimage to Geva to take in this year’s show may notice a familiar face up on stage once the house lights dim and the music starts - especially if they’ve seen an Avon Drama Club or Avon Community Theater production at some point in the past few years.
That’s because Quinn K., a seventh grader at Avon Middle School, has been cast in Geva’s production for the second straight year. After appearing as Want, School Boy, Turkey Girl and one of the Cratchit daughters in last year’s production, Quinn was cast in the featured role of Fan for this year’s show, which opened Nov. 28.
Quinn went into the audition process without any expectations but when she received her first callback, the casting directors told her she was in the running for Fan, Ebenezer Scrooge’s little sister who rescues the miserable miser’s boyhood self from his boarding school headmaster during his time-traveling sojourn with the Ghost of Christmas Past.
A few callbacks and a whole lot of waiting later, Quinn learned she’d secured the part and had also been cast as Little Miss Fezziwig, the youngest of Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig’s three daughters.
“This part isn’t a speaking role, but it’s one of my favorites because there is a really fun, wonderful, choreographed dance that I get to do with much of the cast,” she said.
Kaylee Corell, a music teacher at Avon Elementary School who recently served as Quinn’s musical director in “Freaky Friday: The Musical,” said it came as no surprise that Geva cast Quinn in “A Christmas Carol.”
“Any group she sings in is better because she is there. She is a positive, energetic and hard working leader and, despite all of these gifts, treats every person with kindness and helps them achieve higher standards,” said Corell. “They are so lucky to have such an amazing performer.”
Corell, who taught Quinn through the fourth grade, said the now seventh grader’s musical aptitude was apparent from the time she was in kindergarten.
“Her sense of pitch is impeccable and her ability to sing difficult musical passages is astounding at her age. But while she’s always been able to sing, it’s been so much fun watching her grow as an actress,” said Correll. “She commands the stage and always puts the work in to know exactly what she should be doing, saying, singing and even thinking when she’s on stage.”
Rehearsals for “A Christmas Carol” began Nov. 14 and Quinn’s been hard at work ever since - especially in the days leading up to opening night on Nov. 28.
“This past week was tech week, so I actually was there during the school day and then, depending on the casting call, would have to go back for a night show preview at around 7 p.m.,” she explained. “Typically, we walk through director notes and then will run scenes that need extra work. At the beginning of the rehearsals back earlier in November, some rehearsals focused just on music, some just on blocking but now, we’re running pretty much the whole show every day and sometimes a couple times per day.”
But for Quinn, the rehearsals don’t feel so much like work as they do opportunities to learn from other, seasoned actors and get to know people who love performing as much as she does.
“In total there were 18 kids cast from schools all over the surrounding Rochester area, so it’s fun meeting new friends and being surrounded by people that love theater,” she said. “The adult cast is from all over the world. One of the adult cast members is from Australia, so it’s been really fun getting to know them and hearing their stories of how they got into theater, too.”
Drawn to the stage
While only 12 years old, Quinn is a seasoned performer.
Her first taste of the limelight came in 2017 when she competed in the SummerFest's Got Talent competition in Geneseo, winning the Fan’s Choice Award for her rendition of “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
“I’ve been hooked since then,” said Quinn.
The next year, she performed a selection from the musical "Newsies" alongside Broadway actor Corey Cott during a musical theater showcase at Rochester’s Lyric Theatre before joining the Genesee Valley Children’s Choir.
It was through the choir that Quinn booked her first professional role, portraying a child in Finger Lakes Opera’s 2019 production of “La Bohème.”
“I was eight years old and I had a solo in Italian,” Quinn recalled.
Since then, she’s appeared as Jane Banks in MTed’s production of “Mary Poppins Jr.,” Chaya in the Jewish Community Center of Rochester’s 2022 production of “RISE,” and as Little Girl in JCC’s production of “Ragtime” this past summer.
Quinn said her experience in “RISE,” an original rock musical about female Jewish resistance fighters in Nazi Germany, was particularly impactful.
“I'm so inspired by the composer of “RISE,” Josh Hershfield. His script gave us all a history lesson on the Holocaust and resistance fighters,” she said. “He’s taken his show on the road to continue to share this story - we even performed in Syracuse this summer. Josh also taught me one of my favorite lessons and a quote from the show itself: ‘In times like these, we only have each other.’”
Despite all the competing demands on Quinn’s time, Stephanie Campbell, an English teacher at Avon Middle School who’s directed Quinn in a number of school shows, said Quinn prioritizes Avon productions whenever she can.
“She wants to remain a part of her school program and that speaks volumes,” said Campbell. “She could probably go out and do other things but she wants to be here.”
Campbell first directed Quinn in 2021 when she was cast as Dr. Melvina Dangerfield, the lead in “You Ain't Nothin' But A Werewolf.”
“She was funny, had to memorize about 150 lines, plus music,” recalled Campbell. “For a fifth grader, she was immediately a diligent actress who studied her part and worked to bring a lot of life to the performance.”
That same year, Quinn had a small part in the High School Drama Club’s production of “Big Fish” and has since appeared in Avon Middle School productions of "Oh Horrors, It's Murder,” "Freaky Friday” as well as a number of Avon Community Theater summer shows.
“In theater, when you have a student who is a triple threat - great at singing, acting and dancing - they just shine on stage,” Campbell said. “Combine that with the attitude and overall character of a student like Quinn - she will do absolutely anything that’s needed of her to make a show a success - and watch out world!”
‘An adrenaline rush every time I’m on stage’
One of the main reasons Quinn’s kept such a busy performance schedule over the past five years is the thrill she gets from being in front of a live audience.
“It’s like having an adrenaline rush every time I’m on stage. I love making new friends, being able to learn from really amazing people and getting to play different characters set in different times,” she said. “Instead of living an everyday life, being on stage is like having a different life in a different time.”
But perhaps most of all, she loves the camaraderie that comes from being on stage with like-minded people who are all there for the same reason she is - to put on a fantastic show.
“If someone needs help with lines, you help. If someone messes up, you have to go with it on stage and that means you might have to do a little improv,” she said. “The bonding that happens within a cast helps us all have each other's back. We’re a team.”
And while Quinn sees herself continuing to perform, she’s not actively pursuing any roles or setting any specific expectations for herself.
“I have no idea how just yet,” she said. “I guess I’ll just have to see what opportunities come next.”
“A Christmas Carol” debuted Nov. 28 on Wilson Stage at Geva Theatre, 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. Performances scheduled through Dec. 30. Click here to visit Geva’s website for more information about the show and to purchase tickets.
Photos courtesy of Ron Heerkens Jr./Goat Factory Media
Avon seventh grader Quinn K., wearing a solid brown cape, bonnet with red backing and dark blue gloves, is pictured alongside other cast members during a recent dress rehearsal for Geva Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”
Photos courtesy of Madeline Ruter
Quinn Kenyon, wearing a red shirt and cap, is pictured running a scene during a dress rehearsal for the High School Drama’s Club’s 2022 production of “Big Fish.” Quinn portrayed Will’s Son in the show.
Quinn Kenyon is pictured this past October during a dress rehearsal for Avon Middle School’s production of “Freaky Friday: The Musical.” Quinn portrayed Ellie Blake in the show.
Photo courtesy of Cynthia Towler
Quinn Kenyon, front center, runs a scene during a rehearsal for Avon Community Theatre’s recent production of “Moana Jr.” Quinn played Hei Hei the Rooster in the show, which debuted this past summer.