Marena Dunnington talks about co-founding a teen theatre troupe while in high school in Hawaii and how that influenced her career as a theatre educator and her path to becoming Studio Manager at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio.
TKS: What caused you to co-found a teen theatre troupe in high school in Hawaii?
Marena: Theatre has always been a huge part of my life. I was born in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where my parents were both involved in theatre. My parents met when my mother auditioned for a Broadway show, in which my father was a cast member and fight coordinator. My father actually did some work with David Brimmer, who now teaches stage combat at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio.
While growing up in New York, I performed in shows in elementary school and middle school. When my family moved to Hawaii, when I was 13 years old, I missed the sense of belonging to a community built around theatre, so I co-founded the Waimea Community Teen Theatre Troupe (WCTTT) with my dear friend Becca Barrett. Our first show was “Rent,” and our production raised $3,000 for the Hawaii AIDS Foundation. That success led to future shows, and the troupe has now evolved into the Kahilu Theatre Youth Troupe, which still exists today.
That same year, 2010, I started the Keiki Performing Arts Workshop, a two-week, summer, musical theatre, day camp for local elementary school students. It, too, continues to thrive, now as the Kahilu Performing Arts Workshop. Some of the original students have even become counselors.
TKS: Having been heavily involved in theatre before you went to college, how did you continue your interest in theatre education?
Marena: I studied theatre at Muhlenberg College with a double concentration in directing and performance studies. While there, I became fascinated by the potential of theatre to improve social conditions. I became involved in something called the “Youth and Prejudice: Reducing Hatred” conference, which took place on campus twice a year – for local middle-schoolers in the fall and high schoolers in the spring, about 500 students each session.
Each conference involves the production of a TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) play, a talkback with actors and the creative team, and then discussions held in breakout rooms across the campus with student facilitators. The discussions involve both the actors and the audience members and focus on how to be an “upstander, not a bystander.”
I started by performing in the play, then directed productions, and later managed the entire conference. I became the first student to run the conference and was honored with the Jeanette Eichenwald Interfaith Award.
In the course of that, I discovered my passion for applied theatre and went on to earn a master’s degree in Applied Theatre: Drama in Educational, Social, and Community Contexts at Goldsmiths, University of London. There I worked with vulnerable young people, using theater to address social change and support mental health.
I then moved to Paris for two years, living as an au pair and doing freelance applied theatre work, before accepting a position with Teach for America as the inaugural drama teacher at a new school in San Antonio. From there I was recruited by Uncommon Schools, a charter school system in New York City, where I became director of performing arts while directing five shows a year.
TKS: What brought you to the Terry Knickerbocker Studio?
Marena: I’m passionate about theatre education at all levels and am fascinated by its ability to cultivate authentic human connections and foster community. As soon as I talked with Terry Knickerbocker, I knew that I belonged at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio.
A core focus of Terry’s is the human experience that is part of acting. The Terry Knickerbocker Studio is training people to become the best actors they can be. Essential to that training is the creation of a community in which students can thrive – in which they can allow themselves to be vulnerable and feel supported by one another. That sense of community is an extension of applied theatre. Students find themselves often through the process.
TKS: How does the Terry Knickerbocker Studio convey that sense of community?
Marena: After a two-hour conversation with Terry, he invited me to the Studio to meet with Chris Booth, Justin Cimino, and Kevin Kong. The sense of community is conveyed immediately upon entering the Studio. Even before you meet anyone, the Studio space exudes it. There’s a vibe, a feeling that’s powerful and hard to understand until you’re here.
It’s such a beautiful space and so carefully curated with its bright-orange color scheme, serene fountains, and small, yet intentional, design elements that contribute to feeling simultaneously at peace and inspired. It’s clear that a lot of love went into creating it. As you enter, you first see a gorgeous, wooden, community table that Terry had specially built for the Studio. It welcomes you and encourages students to sit and eat together. What’s most striking to me is that students often bring food for themselves and for others to join them at the table.
A lot of school settings are sterile, but the Terry Knickerbocker Studio is the opposite. It’s welcoming from the outset. That sense of community is then further conveyed by a pervasive culture of respect and appreciation for everyone. That culture extends to every classroom, every faculty and staff member, and every student.
That’s crucial, because the work of actor training is emotionally charged. It’s demanding; it explores the depths of our being; it requires vulnerability. Knowing that you are accepted and supported by a community of fellow actors significantly enhances the training experience and builds confidence in a way that is everlasting.
It’s one of the attributes that distinguishes the Terry Knickerbocker Studio. It’s a key reason why the Studio’s approach to actor training is so vibrant, compelling, inclusive, and impactful.
At the Terry Knickerbocker Studio, beyond the tight-knit community you’re welcomed into, you receive honest, gimmick-free training that genuinely prepares you for a lifelong journey as a confident actor. As the Studio Manager, witnessing the impact on our students is incredibly fulfilling. Many initially join us with wavering confidence, questioning their path in this industry. Yet under the guidance of Terry Knickerbocker, Celestine Rae, and the rest of the inspiring faculty, a remarkable metamorphosis occurs. Students begin to radiate confidence, born not from pretense but from a profound grasp of the craft. Students here train like athletes, and the results are consistent. This authentic transformation is what sets apart the training experience at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio, and I am honored to play a role in fostering it.
