Junior Ava Guckian was hand-selected by Broadway actor and Tony Award winner Kristen Chenoweth to attend a boot camp alongside 60 talented youth actors this summer.

Along with other teen actors from around the globe, Guckian participated in Chenoweth’s camp in Oklahoma for 10 days, where she was coached by Broadway professionals. While Chenoweth usually participates in coaching the camp, she wasn’t able to do so this year because she was the lead in a Broadway show, “Queen of Versailles.”

“I just learned so much; I’ve never learned more,” Guckian said. “My biggest takeaway, all musical stuff aside, would have to be the connections you make and how you make friends. Now I’m not afraid to go into situations alone. You learn to collaborate with other people because you’re surrounded by so many people who are just so good at what they do.”

Guckian’s fellow campers included recording artists, a Jimmy Award nominee and teens making their Broadway debuts.

“These kids [at the camp] are crazy talented and being able to work with them was just the most amazing thing ever,” Guckian said. “I got chosen among these kids, it’s crazy.”

Later in the summer, Guckian’s connection to Chenoweth led to a backstage meeting when she attended her Broadway show, “Queen of Versailles,” in Boston.

“We got to see the set … and then we got to meet [Chenoweth] and she’s such a light, she’s so kind,” Guckian said. “I love her.”

After returning from the camp, Guckian was also selected to play the lead of Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde” at Hanover Theater’s youth acting program, where she could implement her new skills.

“I got to use everything I learned from the camp in Hanover, and it was honestly the most amazing experience,” Guckian said. “[The camp] made the experience easier because I learned so much, and I could also use that information to help my peers as well.”

Through playing the role of Elle at Hanover, Guckian saw a big change and improvement in her acting.

“Being Elle was such a breakthrough moment for me because I actually felt like I was in it,” Guckian said. “It wasn’t Ava on stage, it was actually Elle.”

Guckian loved her experience at Hanover, where she learned how to push herself, increase her stamina and reach her full potential on stage.

“The most fun part was when I got to let loose because the whole time [Elle] has so much energy and is this happy character,” Guckian said. “When I got to actually let my emotions out and be free, I cried and I felt this release of always having to be so upbeat.”

Guckian has participated in plays at ARHS and Hanover. While Hanover pushes her with higher expectations and a professional atmosphere, Algonquin is more about having fun in a place with friends.

“I love both, [Algonquin and Hanover], but they just offer very different things,” Guckian said.

Other ARHS students participated in the Hanover Theatre program, including sophomore Ben Dane, who played Professor Callahan in “Legally Blonde.”

“[Hanover] was an amazing experience,” Dane said.

Dane has been able to see Guckian grow and advance in her acting over the years they’ve performed together.

“Being in other shows with her I can see improvement through the course of each performance and that’s cool,” Dane said. “This year when she was Elle Woods, I saw a big breakthrough in her acting and it was really fun to watch her perform as such an iconic character.”

According to Dane, one of the main reasons Guckian stands out to musical directors is her voice and her extensive experience from participating in many plays, camps and voice lessons.

“She is such a good actress; she can display a lot of different personalities and characters,” Dane said. “She can just capture someone with her voice.”

After her involvement in performing with Hanover, Guckian was invited to join their youth acting company, one of only 13 people from the camp who was invited. She accepted their offer and recently performed in their production of “Charlotte’s Web.”

This story was originally published on The Harbinger on November 20, 2024.