Windermere Preparatory School theater rakes in honors

“Theater gives students a place to belong, and every student is looking for a place in school where they feel comfortable,” BambiEllen Fadoul said. “My 50 theater kids know this is where they belong and they fit in and it’s their safe space.”

Fadoul is in her fourth year as Windermere Preparatory School’s theater department lead and director of the high school’s Thespian Troupe 6902 — and she has built an award-winning program that consistently brings homes trophies and accolades.

“When the opportunity to come to Windermere Prep presented itself, I jumped on it,” Fadoul said. “I’m blessed to work in an unbelievable facility with incredible support from parents and staff. And while it was an amazing opportunity, we had grown in size.”

And the program’s growth continues.

Before Fadoul joined the WPS team, the young theater program incorporated fourth through 12th grades, which made it difficult to select shows in which the older thespians could truly show off their talents.

“The high school students were ecstatic to be given their own production … to their ability,” she said. “The first was two years ago: ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ I chose it to build confidence and enthusiasm. We then, the following year, did the fall play and competed with a one-act, ‘Charley’s Aunt.’ We competed on the district level and state and won top honors at state. That was exciting. I had amazing talent — really, really great talent — that I was able to showcase last year.”

Many of her gifted actors graduated last year, leaving a hole for others to fill this school year — and they did. Fadoul chose the 45-minute, one-act “The Servant of Two Masters,” a classic story performed in traditional commedia dell'arte style, a form of comedy that hails from the Italian Renaissance.

WPS took the show to the Florida Theatre Conference in November, and one of Fadoul’s star actors, Anderson Davies, won the Best Actor award at the festival.

This paved the way for the school to perform “The Servant” in the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Alabama in March, which Fadoul said is the largest theater conference in the country for secondary schools, colleges and professionals. She took 27 thespians to the conference, 24 of whom were in the production and which included about a dozen crew.

Again, Anderson walked away with the Best Actor nod. Another student, Sophia Gegg, won the Best Supporting Actress award, and Fadoul took home the Best Director award.

“It was amazing,” Fadoul said. “We, as a group, I know want to go back; we have to qualify. It was an amazing experience. It was so educational. To meet students from all over the country who are there to do the same thing. Some auditioned for college while they were there and participated in industry workshops by leading professors or professionals. They can vary, (including) costume design, or a different acting technique or a scenic designer.”

Fadoul said of all the shows at WPS, “The Servant” has been her favorite.

“I loved that show; it was a labor of love,” she said. “I really like history, and ‘The Servant of Two Masters’ is a historical piece and based on very famous Italian stock characters.”

Fadoul grew up dancing and was eager to incorporate as much into this show as possible. She added the tarantella, and actors danced with ribbon sticks, and the scenes even changed while students were dancing. More than half of the costumes were originals created by her and her mother.

“With ‘The Servant’ I had a vision; I knew what I wanted from start to finish,” Fadoul said. “My students trusted me.”

PERFORMER MENTALITY

Fadoul said she originally was a performer, inheriting her talents from her mother, a dance teacher. Fadoul has a college degree in musical theater and said she immediately moved to New York to try to make it in the big league. She was in and out of New York for 10 years, depending on the show.

She said she always wanted to work for Walt Disney World, and a successful audition landed her in Central Florida, performing in the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. She also served as a teaching artist with Disney Performing Arts.

She began teaching at various theater organizations around Orlando before transitioning into full-time teaching.

“It was intentionally, but it was the best decision,” she said. “I took a while to no longer be the performer. … When I see a show, I’m no longer thinking of myself. … It’s a strange transition to go from being a performer to leading a group of students.”

She was the theater director at Windermere High School before moving to Windermere Prep.

This process of building a theater family has been one of Fadoul’s greatest accomplishments, she said, and is one that is still happening.

“These kids are my second family,” she said. “I have created at this school a supportive welcoming environment, and that’s what theater has always been. … I think that’s what I am most proud of. We are growing and becoming so successful, and we like each other. … We have a fine arts director who supports me and understands the fine arts. That’s a huge difference. She understands what I’m doing.”

Three of Fadoul’s graduating seniors will be attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

“I have students who are just beginning to do things,” she said.

Miguel Gil, a former Windermere High student, performed in Broadway’s Tony Award-winning “Kimberly Akimbo.”

“Miguel is a local celebrity,” Fadoul said. “We’re going to see and hear from him for years.”

The theater director remains impressed with the students under her guidance.

“Getting into school for theater is no small feat,” she said. “These kids have to do tons of videos before they even get to audition. They have to do a prescreen, monologues and dance. … And it’s extremely difficult. There’s more kids wanting to do it than there are spots.”

Nick Prowse is the technical director and co-director of the thespian troupe and handles all the technical elements for the theater department.

“He's amazing, and I wouldn't be able to create theater at WPS without him,” Fadoul said.

WPS offers theater classes to students from pre-K3 to 12th grade, as well as IB theater to juniors and seniors. The school’s junior and high school thespian troupes are affiliated with the International Thespian Society.