Life Revolves Around Theater For Young Actress Schoolwork Fits In Around Rehearsals And Performances
Early Thursday morning, Briane Jordan is wearing a cherry red bathrobe, a big smile and eyelashes so long they must be fake.
They are.
The 16-year-old actress has less than an hour to get downtown to The Metropolitan Performing Arts Center. Her mother, Debora Jordan, doles out cereal and juice to several munchkins at the dining table.
But day care isn’t all mom has on her mind. She’s telling the improbable tale of how she got started in day care years ago.
“It was for Briane. She was the most demanding baby. She was awful.”
That baby has grown into a young lady with a consuming love for the theater. Now, she’s off to play Tiger Lily, the lead Indian in Peter Pan, produced by the Spokane Children’s Theatre.
Down the back steps of the south Valley split level goes Briane. Still that smile. Still those lashes, plus unremarkable jeans and jacket.
Her mom’s given her parking money and money for lunch - or dinner.
Briane won’t be home until late. On top of matinee and evening performances of Peter Pan, she has lines to memorize for her next show, “Snow Time for Christmas” with Box N Hat, a musical theater program for children.
As for school, Briane fits her homework around rehearsals and performances. She does it well, too, with a 3.9 grade point average.
The turn signal on Briane’s Nissan Stanza doesn’t work right any more, so she methodically clicks it on-off, on-off for each turn.
Hustling down Interstate 90, she sticks to the left lane and talks about her impatience to get on with life.
Central Valley High School is decidedly not the center of her world. She’s got good friends and a comfortable confidence. But most students there don’t understand what she’s about.
Never mind finding time to go to keggers, Briane doesn’t have time for football games.
She made the varsity cheerleading team, then quit. “I didn’t want it to wreck my voice.”
Acting, singing and dancing on stage is her anchor. It’s been that way since she was 5.
A college with a good drama program is on her map, but not here.
“I want to get out of Spokane.” The classic line of restless youth.
Once downtown, Briana’s confidence falters at the idea of parallel parking. But a few minutes later she’s ensconced in a dressing room at The Met.
The rest of her makeup goes on with a practiced hand. Next her braids. Then her buckskin costume.
Briane isn’t the only Spokane Valley member of the cast. Liz Mealey, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School, plays Wendy. Ricky Martin, a fifth grader at Trent Elementary, is Michael. April Dawn Vogel is the indomitable Mrs. Darling. Reggie Rice, an eighth-grader at Valley Christian School, and Colton Carothers, a fifth-grader at Greenacres Elementary, are among the Lost Boys. Ashley Goodrich, a sixth-grader at East Valley Middle School, plays an Indian.
This is the first time Carmen Farley, veteran director of Peter Pan, has worked with Briane.
“She’s worked awfully hard for that role,” Farley said. “She’s a sweetheart.”
Farley has seen the theater bug work its magic on many young people.
“They learn to be responsible people,” she said.
“Young people who feel good about themselves are going to do good things.”
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