Choate’s 2017 production of The Addams Family inspired Maxwell Brown ’21 to pursue the arts at Choate. Photo by Jenny Guo/The Choate News
Maxwell Brown ’21 played Rooster Hannigan in Annie in the third grade. Since then, Brown’s newfound passion for theater blossomed. Today, Brown is a part of Theater Arts Concentration, president of Choate’s all male acapella group the Maiyeros, member of dance company and step-squad, and a stage manager for the fall musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Any theater production requires a huge commitment in and outside of rehearsals to fully interpret the production, connect with the characters, and grow comfortable performing. Brown brings his spirit and professionalism to every production and cast. It can be relatively straightforward to participate in rehearsals, by relying on one’s natural ability and the eventual moment when it all clicks, but Brown looks at the process differently. He believes that a good performance is achieved through productive rehearsals and consistent hard work. It isn’t solely about the final product, but the chain of events occurring before it.
Brown’s key to practicing for a performance is repetition, living by the slogan “practice makes permanent.” He nails the part of the performance that’s scripted to establish a solid foundation for his part, and then focuses on layering his own interpretations on top.
Pinpointing how to portray a piece involves lots of experimentation and trial and error. Brown likes to use other people as a mock audience in order to get more advice and criticism. He says that he learns best when receiving feedback from his peers.
In addition, a key technique Brown’s acting coach taught him is to use his breath. According to him, breathing in acting is like reading a paper out loud — you hear where the flow is off or where the sentence structure is repetitive. Similarly, your breath is a way of measuring the rhythm, a component of the script that is critical to a good performance.
All of this hard work and practice culminates in the final on-stage performance. Brown said, “The feeling of being in the moment on stage is exhilarating because it’s a feeling of total freedom.”
Brown also draws much of his inspiration from African-American performers. African-American actors often haven’t received the same recognition as white performers, so seeing an African-American on a stage or screen is an inspiration. “I see myself in them, and I picture myself with them on the same stage,” said Brown. For this reason, Brown’s dream role is Aaron Burr in Hamilton, a character traditionally played by an African-American actor.
When Brown first decided to choose Choate, in eighth grade, he came to campus to see the 2017 production of The Addams Family. Brown was amazed by the performance, and it got him excited about the art programs at Choate. In particular, Scott Romeyn ’18 stood out to Brown because of his confidence on stage. To Brown’s amazement, when he came to Choate, he and Romeyn ended up in the Maiyeros together.
The horizon is full of lots of exciting things in the arts for Brown. During his time stage managing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which will premiere in the beginning of November, Brown has enjoyed watching the cast transform into their characters as the show comes alive.
