Five Minutes with June Schreiner

June Schreiner is having the time of her life portraying Ado Annie in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at  the Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

Schreiner lives in Reston and is a junior at The Madeira School in McLean.  She is a graduate of the two-year Arena Stage Academy Musical Theater Training Company. She has performed with Synetic Family Theater in The Snow Queen and Hansel and Gretel.

Schreiner was last seen with the McLean Community Players as Amy March in Little Women and has done several productions, including Suessical and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolcor Dreamcoat with Reston Community Players.

Reston Patch caught up with the sophmore at The Madeira School before she dashed out for two Sunday performances.   The show runs through Dec. 28.

Reston Patch: How did you get this part?

June Schreiner: I participated in the Arena Stage musical training company for the last two summers.  They asked me to come in and audition.  I didn't really think they were seriously considering me for the part; but I got called back a few times.  They auditioned people in New York too, and the next thing I know I was offered the part.  It is an amazing opportunity for me.

 Is it fair to say you had your public debut at Colonial Day at in Reston?

JS:  Yes, I guess it was.  I sang Amazing Grace at Colonial Day in the fourth grade.   Then, in fifth grade I started doing theater with the Reston Community Players (RCP).  My first show was Honk.   I've done a lot of shows since then.  I love it so much.

My dad directed Little Women last summer so I got to work with him.  It was awesome.

What's your schedule like now?

JS: Oklahoma's first rehearsal was Sept.  21.   Opening night was Nov. 4, but we had a lot of preview shows.    Now we do eight shows a week. 

Reston Patch: And you are a junior at Maderia?

JS: Yes, so I'm keeping up with my school work.  It's a little stressful, yes it is.

I am a [South Lakes] Seahawks wannabe though.

Many of your junior classmates are starting to visit colleges, etc. Are you making future plans?

JS: Well, I'm thinking about it.  Right now I'm so busy with the show.  Since I'm working with professional actors and actresses, I'm getting lots and lots of advice.  So I don't know yet, but I'm thinking.

What's your favorite part about the show?

JS: Actually, the rehearsals are my favorite part.  Things change all the time.  I really love playing with the stuff and improvising.  I'm sad rehearsals are over. And I love the fighting scenes we do.  That's really fun. Learning to lasso was amazing too.  We had a lasso expert come down from New York.