Eleanor Bryan, 10, was cast in the lead role for "Alice in Wonderland," which concluded a three-day run at the MACC on Sunday.TALENT SHOWDo you know a child age 13 or younger with a precocious talent in academics, athletics or the arts? The Times Free Press is searching for children to feature in "Talent Show," which appears in the Life section on Tuesdays. To nominate a child as a possible subject of a future feature article, e-mail staff writer Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or call him at 423-757-6205.
To Eleanor Bryan, life isn't a stage all of the time. After all, even drama queens need to sleep once in a while.
The rest of the time, however, the show must go on.
"We have drama at home and in the car and in the kitchen," Alison Bryan said of her 10-year-old daughter, who took her first legitimate stage at age 6.
"We have dancing in the kitchen; we have shows in the garage," Bryan continued. "It doesn't matter where we are. It doesn't wait for just Tuesday nights when we go to drama class."
Eleanor is unapologetic about her desire to make life more interesting, and if letting her imagination run wild makes that happen, so be it, she said.
"I get bored, and I'm like, 'I'm so tired of the ordinary things,' " Eleanor said. "I put my creative, funky, invisible hat on and start doing something out of the ordinary."
Eleanor has regularly participated in productions at the Mountain Arts Community Center on Signal Mountain for four years. Most recently, she was cast in the lead role for "Alice in Wonderland," which concluded a three-day run at the MACC on Sunday.
Eleanor has participated in many productions, from "1000 Cranes" and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" to "Big Bad Musical," but there is a certain sense of satisfaction in donning the blue dress and black Mary Janes. Not only is it her first lead role, but it's a return to the show that started her career portraying a lowly flower.
"It's cool to do the play that I started with," she said. "When I found out that we were going to be doing 'Alice in Wonderland' again, I was so surprised and excited because I thought, 'This is my chance.' "
Taking on the lead of the 32-member show has posed some unexpected challenges. During the hourlong performance, she never leaves the stage.
For all the stress and added difficulty, however, it has been exhilarating taking on the responsibilities, she said.
"Just to get this part is big for me," Eleanor said. "It's an opportunity to do what I wanted to do when I was young. An opportunity to prove to myself and others that I can be the best I can be onstage."
The production's director, Colleen Laliberte, said she knew Eleanor was an ideal fit for the role, not just because she happens to look just like the popular depiction of Alice but because of the seriousness she brings to the process.
Because of her careful preparation, including a self-imposed schedule of when she needed to memorize her scenes, Laliberte said Eleanor found her own, personal take on the role.
"She really took on a lot of responsibility and was very self-motivated, very driven to discover things about the character and to be a good team member," Laliberte said. "She took it upon herself to examine the role and determine what it took to be the best she could be.
"She didn't wait for me [to tell her]."
The "Wonderland" production will likely be Eleanor's last at the MACC, though it will not be the end of her acting career. She said she plans to audition to attend Center for Creative Arts as a musical-theater major in the fall.
Eleanor's mother said the theater has been a boon to her daughter, in terms of giving her a structured place to channel the natural creativity that otherwise manifests as spontaneous bursts of song and impromptu plays performed in the garage.
Being onstage has also erased all trace of a child who, in preschool, was shy and introverted.
"I can't believe how confident she is now. She's probably more confident than I am," Bryan said, laughing. "It's a gift that I do not have. It's great."
Acting is just like breathing, and it's hard to imagine stopping, Eleanor said.
"If I continue on with it [acting] in high school, I'll probably keep doing it when I'm older," she said. "If I don't, I won't, but I hope that day never comes."