ATG Interview: Audrey Kaplan with Elia Sheldon
Audrey Kaplan is a successful business woman who has worked hard, reached for her dreams and has managed to stay true to what she’s most passionate about. She’s the founder of Applause Theatrical Workshops, an organization that has offered top notch music and drama programs for children and teens for the past thirteen years. She’s also a mom to her son, Tyler, who was the inspiration for her Broadway Babies program. In this interview, Audrey tells us more about herself, her business, her thoughts on American theatre today, and shares advice for those looking to find balance in their lives.
Please tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start Applause Theatrical Workshop.
From a very young age, my parents nurtured within me a love for theatre. I attended the Yale Shakespeare program at Oxford University and Carnegie Mellon’s musical theater program before receiving my B.F.A in Drama from Tulane University. I then went on to receive my Masters Degree in Education from NYU.
I had a performance career where I starred in many stage productions as well as appearing on commercials and playing a recurring role on ABC’s All My Children.
Wanting to focus on teaching for a while, I went on to become a teacher for nine years in New York City, eight of which were spent at P.S. 6, and one year spent teaching acting at the Upper Lab High School. I am proud to say that I was a model teacher for New York City and trained numerous teachers. My classroom was a visiting site for principals and teachers from both private and public schools all over the United States, as well as Columbia University Teachers College reading and writing workshops.
In 1995, I found a way to merge my passions for both education and theater by founding Applause Theatrical Workshops. I’ve directed over twenty-five productions at Applause while also coaching many children privately for performing arts schools, colleges, and professional auditions.
My greatest credit is my son, Tyler. In 2000, the year he was born, I (along with co-founder Pamela Fisher) created Broadway Babies, hoping to spread the magic of Broadway to children of all ages. I’m grateful to be able to spend my days sharing my life-long love of theater with children and teenagers everywhere.
“Whether it is a 2 year old who just followed all the dance moves to a dance we taught them, or the 18 year old who was just chosen by an agent who saw them in one of the shows, all of these moments are equally rewarding.”
What’s the most rewarding part about working with children?
It’s when you see a child accomplish something that even they didn’t think they could accomplish. Whether it is a 2 year old who just followed all the dance moves to a dance we taught them, or the 18 year old who was just chosen by an agent who saw them in one of the shows, all of these moments are equally rewarding.
The other most rewarding aspect of working with children is when our students feel like our place (Applause New York) is home to them. They feel that they can be themselves without peer pressure or anything else. We accept everyone for who they are and that helps foster loving friendships between people who might never have been friends in the first place. I have so many students write me personal notes letting me know that our organization has changed their lives. I feel this might be the most rewarding part of it all.
What’s the most challenging part about working with children?
The most challenging part is making all of them happy.
What’s your favorite Broadway show and why?
That is the hardest question in the world for me. It’s like asking me which is my favorite child. Different shows affected me at different times in my life:
- Age 10: Annie was the first Broadway show I saw, and it literally changed my whole world. I was ten when I saw it and to realize that there were other children on the stage like I dreamed of, was truly life altering. I sang every song on the album every day for two years straight.
- Age 15: My favorite play on Broadway was The Real Thing. At that time my parents were getting divorced and it is the play that spoke to me. I felt understood and I saw a couple breaking up on stage and that helped me to understand adult issues. It gave me a sense of reality for me and realizing I wasn’t alone.
- Adult Life: My favorite Broadway musical in the course of my adult life is Rent. I like shows that are cutting edge and speak about issues that are more difficult to tackle. I have to be able to sing the songs all the time and feel completely that my whole body reacts every time I hear the music. That is what Rent does for me.
If you were a Broadway show, which one would you be and why?
If I were a Broadway show I would be The Sound of Music. I’m an extremely independent woman. I am a person who loves children. I don’t mind having to win people over, so I love challenges. I can make up a song about anything, teach children to sing, and I love a happy ending.
“Theatre should be for the people. It always has been from the earliest ages of history.”
Have you seen Mike Daisey’s monologue How Theatre Failed America? If so, what did you think? Whether you’ve seen it or not, what are your thoughts on how to remedy theatre’s shrinking audiences?
I have not seen this monologue but I have strong feelings about how theatre has failed America. Theatre is starting to vanish with sixteen shows closing in the past few months. The tickets are simply too expensive. It actually pushes people away.
Theatre should be for the people. It always has been from the earliest ages of history. The live experience is extremely important and the producers of today have fed into raising the prices. In fact, “Premium Seating”, in my opinion, has really ruined the experience for the average person. This means you cannot get tickets in the first ten rows unless you pay a premium price. This price can be up to $400 a seat. Who can really afford that? It’s not always fun to be in the last row of the third tier. Theater is up close and personal.
I also think that by using only movie stars to come back to play the leads in musicals or plays has really exposed the public to that way of thinking. By doing this, now the public doesn’t always go unless there is a star performing in the show. This also raises the prices for the producers.
When the producers only produce shows that they know will be a hit, their choices get less and less risky. This is why we always end up with all revivals on Broadway. It really discourages new playwrights and composers.
This is why I opened Broadway Babies. I felt if I could introduce shows to parents and babies from a very young age, I could help in the development of a child’s love of Broadway. My thinking process is that if you grow up loving something it becomes part of who you are. Perhaps later on in life, these babies will be the people who donate money to the arts, go see the shows and, perhaps produce shows for the love of it not just to make the hugest profit. I also love exposing parents to the Broadway shows to inspire them to support Broadway. If they like a song or two that they hear in class, perhaps they will go buy the CD, or the DVD or go buy a theatre ticket.
What do you enjoy most about theatre?
The live performance experience. There is an incredible energy created between the audience and the performers that electrify the whole atmosphere. There is true connection, that can’t happen through film or TV.
What do you think is the greatest challenge for women in business today?
There is still some inequality out in the business world. I still receive some phone calls from men who think that I will back down if they get tough with me. These particular types need to understand that women in business and women running businesses are here to stay.
What are some of your tips for having good work/life balance?
This truly is one of the hardest personal issues that women in business have. The tips that I can pass on are:
- Give your full attention to your child when you are together. Don’t answer your phones, don’t check your emails, and don’t make phone calls. Have a time that is yours with your child. If you give your child that, then your time will be very rich and your child will not resent your work.
- Talk to your child about what you do. Teach them something about it. Let your child come to your office and do something that will help you and be fun for them. Then you will get them involved.
- Make an effort on the weekend to get involved in an activity that your child might be a part of. Manage the baseball team. Help out the director if your child is in theater, etc. This gives your child the feeling that you are really interested in them and it builds connection between the both of you.
- Plan a weekend vacation for two weekends throughout the year, for just you and your significant other. Alone time is the only way to keep a relationship refreshed.
- Don’t put your computer in your bedroom.
- Do your very best to find a half hour or an hour to yourself. A bath, time to read a book, watch TV. Do not work on your computer.
- Go out one night a week. See friends (a girl’s night, go out dancing, do dinner, see a movie, anything!) But get out just one night no matter when it is.
Who are your role models and why?
My role models are my parents who have been my mentors, my inspiration and my support. The thing I loved most about my parents growing up was that they were very open with me. They included me in all conversations and they taught me to really listen. Everything that I learned about business and life was through observing and listening to what people had to say.
My parents both openly discussed business with me at the dinner table every night when I was growing up. They even asked my opinion about certain things. My father started the Gloria Vanderbilt Company and my mother started out with Barbara Corcoran when she began her real estate company. They taught me about how to handle problems that come up in business and most importantly they instilled in me the value of hard work. From them I learned that you need to know your own business inside and out so that no matter what happens, I could always run things by myself if necessary.
“What motivates me most is making children happy. No matter which class I stroll into on any given day or hour, it’s the smiling faces that make everything feel worthwhile.”
What motivates you?
What motivates me most is making children happy. No matter which class I stroll into on any given day or hour, it’s the smiling faces that make everything feel worthwhile.
Coffee or tea?
I love to start the day with an ice coffee, even in the winter.
Cat person or dog person?
I am a dog person. I’ve had dogs my whole life. My dog is named Cappuccino and she is fifteen years old.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I have ever received was from my mother. She told me an old proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.” I think this proverb always helped me to take risks, because nothing was ever too daunting by just taking one step at a time.
What’s next for Applause New York? What’s next for you?
The next thing for Applause New York is expansion. I would love to bring this out to children and teens everywhere.
It’s too wonderful to just keep it to ourselves; we want to spread the joy of music and theater all around the world.
The other next thing for me is Rock ‘n’ Roll Babies. We opened our first classes this semester and they are all sold out. Now I’m in the process of creating the curriculum for the next few years. I love to create!
You can find out more about Ms. Kaplan’s endeavors by visiting the website for Applause Theatrical Workshops..
Elia Sheldon is a working mother of two daughters who lives in Chatham, NJ and manages large scale programs for a Fortune 50 company. She enjoys time with her family, working on her novel, and attending hot yoga classes. Her column focuses on providing ideas, thoughts, and advice to help demystify the corporate jungle and achieve better work life balance. Need advice? Send questions to: elia@eliasheldon.com.
