Meet Ryan Bouchard, Center Stage Program Alum
Meet Ryan Bouchard, a 2022 alum of the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program (tag to website). Ryan was a participant in the Center Stage Program as a recipient of Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role for Wren McCormack in Footloose before graduating from Pulaski High School. He was also part of the inaugural group of the Center Stage Encore Singers.
During his time with the Encore Singers, Ryan worked at an accelerated pace that created a beneficial learning experience for him. Having to learn music quickly to work out program dynamics allowed Ryan to foster flexibility in the rehearsal room which he still uses nearly every day. Another way that Ryan feels the Center Stage Program helped him get to where he is now is the exposure the program offers. “The opportunities offered to students to interact with working theater professionals, the connections made between students all working towards a future in professional theater and the ability to work in performance at a pre-professional level all contributed to the sort of launchpad that I believe this program offered me.”
Ryan’s favorite memory of the Center Stage Program goes back to the 2021-22 Showcase rehearsals. “I have a vividly fond memory of the Outstanding Lead Actors’ tech rehearsal; I remember taking the stage with other actors whose talent, and, more importantly, whose passion I had rarely encountered up to that point. There was a tangible sense of excitement in the room as we all celebrated what it meant to be a part of the group around us. That’s a feeling I can still remember today and that I will always be grateful for.”
Taking the knowledge and experience gained throughout the program, Ryan has decided to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater and Philosophy. He is currently studying at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and shared his talents as a stage manager for Studio 12’s summer production of Pirates of Penzance.
The Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program is an educational initiative of the Fox Cities P.A.C. with support from corporate partner Fox Communities Credit Union. Additional partners in this program include Johnson Financial Group, Nicolet National Bank, Angelo & Jennifer Ninivaggi, Schneider Foundation, WFRV and Wipfli. Programs like the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program are also supported in part by contributions to the Center’s Annual Partner Campaign.
