July YP of the Month

July YP of the Month

July 1st, 2017

July YP of the Month

Summer is CYPT’s wackiest time of the year, and this year is no different. We’ve got a million drama camps, TWO plays rehearsing, several off-site daycamps, and all this while many of our graduating kids in the Outpatient Collective put the finishing touches on Grounded (while also packing for University). July’s YP of the Month is one such Outpatient, heading off to the UofA next year to pursue drama, and we are so proud of her. When she auditioned for us for the first time in September, it was hard to keep our jaws off the floor. Who was this thoughtful young woman who was capable of conjuring such power in her performance? Well, we got to know her this year, and we’ve crammed her into our little hearts as much as we could, so it’ll be hard to say goodbye. She’s got a command of the stage that would make you think she was born there, and a kind and beautiful heart to match. Luckily, we’ve got lots of great photos to remember her by (seriously, this girl is photogenic – she’s like the master of being interestingly lit) and I’m sure we’ll be seeing her on professional stages in a few years! And who is this daughter of Dionysus and demigoddess of drama?

July’s YP of the Month is none other than,

MacKenzie Ireland!!!

MacKenzie is beyond grateful to have been able to be a part of CYPT, even if it was only for one season! She first took the stage as Lady Macbeth in the production of Macbeth in February, more recently was a part of This is Not a Love Story as Emma in the 2017 Cannonball! Festival, and is currently a member of the 2017 Outpatient Collective!

MacKenzie and Noah in This is Not a Love Story (Cannonball 2017) Photo by Rob Galbraith/Little Guy Media

By moving to good old Cochrane in 2012, MacKenzie was able to become fully immersed in the theatre community through Cochrane High School’s performing arts and drama programs. Some of the productions she has been apart of are The Drowsy Chaperone, Land of the Dead, and The Drowning Girls. Fortunately she was able to be a participant of the 2013/2014 Theatre Junction Grand Mentorship Program and attend Artstrek which has also been a big factor in shaping her love and passion for theatre every summer. If you can’t find her on the stage, she’ll be cuddling her cats or her nose might be shoved in a book

MacKenzie in Macbeth (2017). Photo by Rob Galbraith.

When she auditioned in August of last year, nerves oozed from her pores, yet almost instantly through the auditions and the start of rehearsals she was accepted and brought full force into this amazing group of people. The endless amounts of laughter and creation have made her heart full and smile wide. CYPT is one of the most special and important places she has ever encountered. The love, respect, and adoration she has for CYPT is eternal and she cannot thank everyone enough for that.

“Theatre is a force stronger than anything I have ever experienced. It is the one thing I know can spout love and shake the world.”

-MacKenzie Ireland