Walt Shepperd is a veteran of Central New York's political scuffle, having covered government and politics in Syracuse for nearly four decades. He is the Senior Editor of the City Eagle and the Mayor of Montgomery Street in downtown Syracuse.
Sean McLeod calls the Media Unit the Everything Club. “If you can make it through the Media Unit,” he says, “you can do everything.” Well, not everything, maybe, but certainly most of the skill sets needed to carve out a career in the worlds of screen or stage. Since it was founded in 1976, almost 80 percent of those who have made it through the Media Unit are pursuing careers in those fields. Including Sean McLeod, President of the New York Institute for Dance and Education, which he founded.
Sean McLeod is artistic director of Kaleidoscope Dance Theater in Auburn, and served in that capacity for the local “Dancing with Our Stars.” He provides one of each season’s summer tour highlights for Media Unit members with an invitation to perform at the annual New York Dance Festival.
Media Unit will be dancing at the Westcott Cultural Festival, Sunday, September 13, at 2 p.m. on the Harvard Dance Stage, featuring their ghastly ghoulish Thriller, highlight of Arts Week’s Dancestravaganza on Hanover Square. The dancers will also cavort in the Festival’s parade at noon as Oz characters, promoting auditions for the coming season. City Eagle readers who are talented teens, or know talented teens can get a jump start on auditions, however, by signing up for a special session Saturdays in September from noon to 2 p.m. Prospective cast (singing, dancing and acting background a must) and tech crew (some experience preferred) 13 to 17, for the national award winning touring troupe should call 478-UNIT (8648) to reserve a space.
School credit, summer jobs, scholarships
Media Unit members can receive up to two full credits toward high school graduation in the Syracuse City School District, and on a case by case basis in other districts and at BOCES. In collaboration with CNY Works and with funding from Project Safe Nseighborhoods, the summer tour provides paid jobs for production and performance.
Over the past ten years Media Unit has awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships for members to study their craft in college. Syracuse University, LeMoyne College and Onondaga Community College have awarded credit hours for Media Unit participation.
Competition in the Cultural Resources Council’s annual Harms Theater Festival provides Media Unit members further opportunity to win scholarships.
In April, Media Unit’s traditional New York City tour will add a performance at Lehman College to the schedule, appearing in collaboration with the Positive Youth Troupe. PYT competed and collaborated with Media Unit in last month’s Renaissance @ the BeVard Festival, and while PYT won the Bessie for the Best Performance, PYT director Gilbert Brown extolled Media Unit for setting a tone of professionalism he would like to see his cast and crew adopt. The New York tour will also include performances at City Lights on Broadway and the LaFayette Grill in Tribeca.
Passion and positive attitude
In seeking to represent the diversity of the community, Media Unit recruits teens of all sizes, shapes, colors and conditions. Original performances explore topics of teen concern, including racism, gender discrimination, sexual orientation, addictions, abuse and AIDS. With Media Unit members writing the scripts, especially good roles have been created for African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and teens from other countries. While talent is crucial for performance and production, a totally positive attitude is more important, as is a total passion for using theater, and Media Unit’s weekly television broadcast Rough Times Live, to give teens a voice and make a difference in dealing with their issues.
Media Unit members say their work is the hardest they’ve ever done, but also the most fun they’ve ever had.
{Editor’s note: Shepperd is the founder and executive producer for Media Unit)
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: media unit,syracuse,auditions,television broadcast,teens,Syracuse University, LeMoyne College and Onondaga Community College,Westcott Cultural FestivalRough Times Live
