From Ushers to the Mainstage: WebCo Seniors Make Rep Debut in “Emma”

As freshmen, Olivia Balicki and Maggie Newstead-Adams spent their nights at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) sweeping aisles, moving set pieces and watching from the audience thinking, “Imagine getting to do that.”

This December, the Webster University seniors will take the very stage they once cleaned. They’re performing in The Rep’s mainstage production of “Emma” — their first professional show. Balicki will play both Mrs. Elton and Mrs. Bates, while Newstead-Adams portrays Jane Fairfax.

Balicki and Newstead-Adams worked hard to get to the mainstage, but they also credit manifestation. Last spring, the two often joked about landing roles in “Emma.”

When they heard The Rep was casting two female roles for the Jane Austen adaptation, they immediately filmed their self-tapes.

“I got home from work, set up my ring light, made my boyfriend read for me, did my British accent and the rest is history,” Balicki said.

Almost a month later, Newstead-Adams worked her typical barista shift and served an unexpected customer — The Rep’s artistic director Kate Bergstrom. She told the actress, “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing you a lot this year!” and drove off. One week later, Newstead-Adams got the call.

The seniors were given a couple of months to begin their senior year in Webster’s Sargent Conservatory of Theater Arts (WebCo), Balicki as a musical theatre major and Newstead-Adams as an acting major. However, they quickly found themselves thrown into the rehearsal process.

“Even though it feels like such a time crunch, we’re able to do it. We’ve been dancing, we’ve been learning our choreography…,” Balicki said. “Yes, there are moments where it gets frustrating, but it’s also really amazing to watch these people who are seasoned in acting, so professional, and coming off book, ready to go, working hard.”

The two seniors work with limited free time. On Mondays, their days are dedicated to WebCo. Tuesdays through Fridays, they attend classes in the morning and then rehearse “Emma” from noon to 8 p.m. Weekend rehearsals run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Even with such a packed schedule, Balicki and Newstead-Adams “wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Plus, the pace isn’t new. Newstead-Adams said they’ve had a rigorous schedule since they were freshmen.

“WebCo… they push you hard. They train us in the extreme. When we go into a process super fast, I know I have the tools. I know what I need to do. I know how I need to ask for help,” Balicki said.

Balicki said getting to represent WebCo on The Rep stage is an honor.

“There have been some really amazing, amazing WebCo students before us who have done this, and it’s a great partnership that we’re really lucky to get to move forward with and carry on,” Balicki said.

Knowing that the WebCo community is rooting for the two actresses pushes them to put on their best show. Newstead-Adams is especially excited for her classmates to see the dancing she’s been practicing.

“I feel so proud. I love how much dancing I’ve been doing. I have never done a show with this much dancing before,” Newstead-Adams said. “I’m also just excited for them to kind of see the world that we’ve created, because I think it’s gonna be a really pretty show, and I think it’s gonna be a really immersive experience at the theater.”

The Rep’s production of “Emma” runs Dec. 3-21 in the Loretto-Hilton Center. Webster students can purchase $20 tickets through the box office. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m, with walk-up hours Wednesday through Friday and two hours before curtain.