Q&A with The Young Company’s Kayden Jackson

Theatre School Director Spenser Payne recently sat down with long-time student Kayden Jackson to talk about the Young Company’s upcoming production of Lost Girl, reflect on his favourite MTYP memories, and what’s next for Kayden after graduation.

Spenser: You have been a student here at MTYP forever. What was your first class?

Kayden: Ah, the first class I ever did at MTYP was a Movie Makers Summer Camp. That was lots of fun. I played Chuck Norris… I didn’t know who Chuck Norris was, but my teacher said he was cool. So, I’m like, “Okay, I’m cool. I can play him.”

Spenser: (laughs) That’s kind of a perfect role for you. You’ve taken many other classes, what classes have you taken at MTYP?

Kayden: Yeah! I’ve taken all the Movie Makers classes and acting classes, I’ve taken musical theatre, I even did an extra curricular play (now called Onstage). I’ve taken so many, I have forgotten the names of all of them.

Spenser: What did you think of doing the Gala?

Kayden: That was probably the first time I ever got to perform on the main stage. And it was probably the first time I got to perform something for an audience other than my parents.

Spenser: Have you had a favourite class at MTYP?

Kayden: Other than Young Company?

Spenser: (laughing) When I was a student, it was my favourite class too. Well what is the Young Company?

Kayden: Every year there is a group of teens that audition, and we all work together as a team to put on a full-length play. When I was in my first year of Young Company I had Erin McGrath as my director, and one of the things that she said that stuck with me is, “there’s a reason it’s called “Young Company”, because we’re not just a class, we’re a company of young people.” That’s why it is so special to me. It’s about exploring theatre, exploring the show itself, and it’s not just getting up on a stage and doing your lines and “acting”, it’s a lot more than that. It’s about creating a close-knit community.

Spenser: That’s such a special answer Kayden. This is your fifth year doing Young Company. What keeps you coming back every year?

Kayden: Honestly, it’s the people. In my first year in Young Company, I was the youngest by a lot, and even though I was only 13 and some of them were 18, I– we all just had such a close bond. Most of us are still friends, I’m still connecting with them. We played D&D for a long time. We obviously all have a love of theatre and that’s why we’re doing it, but it’s so much more than that, we share all the other things that you love.

Spenser: Do you have a specific memory from the last five years that you will always laugh about?

Kayden: In my first year of Young Company, we did She Kills Monsters. I played Steve, the comic relief. He’s my grandparents’ favourite role I’ve played. Every time I bring up Young Company, they’re like, “Oh, I don’t remember that, but I’ll never forget Steve.” That’s a conversation that we’ve had before. At one point of the run, we were near the end of the show and things were getting dramatic and intense, but the audience started, chanting, “STEVE.” I was like, “That’s so silly. Oh! They’re chanting for me!” And I thought that was a really special thing.

Spenser: Tell me about Lost Girl. Why should we come and see it?

Kayden: Everyone is super talented in the cast. I’ve done comedies, I’ve done dramas, I’ve done sad shows, and all throughout this I think that Young Company has been evolving. Lost Girl is being performed in the Richardson theatre and is in the round. I’ve only ever seen one show in the round before, Charlie Brown at MTYP, and that show was great. I think that if you’re in love with theatre, then a show in the round is something to see. I have found it cool to do, it’s cool to watch, it opens you up to so many new things that I’ve never had to think about before. It lets you get a lot closer to your scene partners, and I think that’s especially great for this show because it has a lot of emotion. It’s not just a, “make you cry” show, but there’s a lot of things that it makes you think about.

Spenser: What’s next after Young Company?

Kayden: She Kills Monsters was the first big show I did, and I get to do it again, as Miles, not Steve, with my school the week after Young Company closes. I’m not planning on continuing with a lot of theatre after high school, so it was my first and will be my last show. I’m graduating high school this year and will be going to university to study chemistry.

Spenser: Do you think you’ll be an avid theatregoer?

Kayden: I don’t think I’ll ever lose my love for theatre. I’ll never stop going to see shows, I’ll never stop supporting my friends in theatre, do I think that I’ll never do theatre again? No… but we’re, definitely taking a break for right now.

Spenser: Any advice for any of our younger students here at MTYP?

Kayden: If you’ve seen a show and think “that’s so cool!”, and you think it’s a dream to be on stage… it can become you! You can always find your way into that world. Even if you don’t want to be an actor there are so many special things you can do. You can direct, you can design, you can work in production– and I think that you should try your best to stay in that world as much as you can.

Lost Girl runs in MTYP’s Richardson Studio theatre from March 12- 15. Kayden performs as Peter Thursday, March 12 at 7PM, Friday, March 13 at 1PM and Saturday, March 14 at 7PM. Kayden performs as Boy Friday, March 13 at 7PM, Saturday, March 14 at 2PM and Sunday, March 15 at 2PM.

Our annual Musical Theatre Gala, Gala in Neverland, runs March 19-21. Click here to get tickets online!