BACT Blogger Genevieve Interviews Actor Derek Collard

Genevieve is back with another interview! This time, the young blogger got to chat with DerekTravis Collard who plays Frog in A Year With Frog and Toad, currently playing at Bay Area Children's Theatre. Genevieve is eleven years old and in fourth grade at Kensington Hilltop Elementary. She attended her first live theater performance at three years old. Genevieve also enjoys acting, particularly in musicals, playing the piano, writing, reading, traveling, and playing sports with her friends. She lives in Kensington with her parents and two younger siblings.
If you are age 9 and up and want to write a blog about your experience with BACT, email nina@bactheatre.org.

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My Interview of Derek Collard
By Genevieve, Age 11

     Okay, first off, I have to say that the newest Bay Area Children’s Theatre (BACT) production, A Year with Frog and Toad, was amazing! There was great singing and acting and it captured the feeling of the books. The scenery and costumes were really cool, creative, fun, and looked a lot like the original artwork by Arnold Lobel. I laughed out loud so many times! Thank you to all of the people who put time into this musical…the work really showed!

Actor DerekTravis Collard

     All right, now on to the interview with Derek Collard, the actor who has been in many BACT productions, this time playing Frog in A Year with Frog and Toad. Derek is also the Development Coordinator for BACT. Derek is an amazing actor and is really funny and exciting.

      A Development Coordinator is the person in charge of fundraising for the company. They work on getting donations from people and getting attention for, in this case, a play. Derek Collard says that his most successful fundraising project was the kick starter video he created for Ivy and Bean.

      Derek started acting at the age of eight. His first play was Peter Pan, which was a world premiere, so he traveled around the world as a Lost Boy. It took two years, so Derek had to have tutors on the road.

      If Derek could act in ANY play, which would it be? The answer to that one is simple: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Derek was in it once before, playing the character Snoopy and thought it was a lot of fun.  

DerekTravis Collard as Frog.

     In A Year with Frog and Toad, Derek was allowed to pick any part he wanted. He chose Frog because he thought Frog was levelheaded and a good friend. He also wanted a part that was a little less physical; last production he was the Dad in Knuffle Bunny, and that had a lot of running around, pulling on a stubborn little girl, and loud songs.

     Everyone in A Year with Frog and Toad rehearsed five days every week for five weeks! That is a lot of practicing, but once the plays start, there isn’t any more rehearsing because they’re so busy putting on the productions!

      When Derek was a child, he loved to read, always having a book under his arm everywhere he went, so of course by the time he was seven he had read the sweet Frog and Toad books.

     This musical was one of my favorites of the BACT productions, and I once again thank everyone who put time into this awesome play, A Year with Frog and Toad. A special thanks to Derek Collard!