A seventh-grader from Oak Park School District 97 is taking center stage in Aurora this holiday season, proving you’re never too young to go after your dreams.
Meena Sood, 12, will share the lead role, playing Charlie Bucket in Paramount Theatre’s production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The production runs through Jan. 14.
Sood, who shares the role with fellow child actor Charlie Long, said this new version moves the popular story into modern times.
“When I am on stage, Charlie is a girl,” Sood said. “And when he is on stage, Charlie is a boy. They wanted to be inclusive and show the audience that a girl can be a chocolate scientist too and show the inclusivity of the Paramount casting.”
The show premiered on Nov. 17 and Sood encourages people to bring the whole family and be part of the holiday celebration.
To prepare for this role, she attended four-hour rehearsals after school as well as going over her lines, both at home and during the long car rides to Aurora, with the help of her family.
“They are very supportive with this all,” she said. “They encourage me to keep practicing even though it has already started. The show is very wordy, there are a lot of difficult words to say over and over, so it is good to run through the songs and make sure the lyrics are still fresh in my head for the show.”
Her road to the stage began with putting on shows for friends and family and singing around the house. She began taking classes at Ovation Academy, on Madison Street, where she cultivated her passion for the theater, taking singing and dance classes as well.
In her first show, she played Princess Fiona in Ovation’s production of “Shrek Junior,” and despite some first-show jitters, she had a blast.
“My favorite part was interacting with the cast and crew,” she said. “Even though it was such an amazing show onstage, backstage is such a different environment. I love seeing the actors backstage and speaking with them.”
Sood went on to perform in four professional productions including, “A Christmas Story: The Musical!” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which was her professional debut. She also appeared in “School of Rock.”
Sood said one of her favorite parts of acting is the first day, meeting the actors she will be sharing a stage with.
“The first day of rehearsals, obviously you see familiar faces who you have worked with before, but I love meeting new actors and new parts of the crew,” she said. “You know you are going to be close with them for the next couple of months, so it’s really fun getting to know everybody and becoming a little family that is part of the cast.”
With opening night as well as the 10 preview shows behind her, she said the audience’s enthusiastic reactions have fueled her performances.
“The audience was so loud and fun and lively,” she said. “I think the audience makes it. Depending on how they react to the lines, how hard they clap, it really changes the whole show and how the energy is.”
The time commitment needed to be a working actor can be a challenge to manage, especially for a seventh-grader, but Sood said all her teachers at Julian Middle School have been very supportive and work with her to make sure she maintains her grades without having to sacrifice her dream.
“They figure out a way that I can do my work at home if I need to or in the car,” she said. “Most of my schoolwork is on the computer, which is really nice. They post stuff on the class website, and I can complete it in my own time. They are helpful with deadlines, but I try to get my work in as soon as possible.”
Her family’s support has also allowed her to pursue her dreams. Her parents work together to drive her to practice and shows while her older sister helps her run lines.
Carolyn Sood said seeing her daughter on stage is absolutely incredible and a real moment of pride.
“She works so hard. She really does put a lot of time into rehearsing and performing, and she stays very organized with school,” Carolyn said. “I am proud she is capable of managing all of that.”
She dreams of continuing to act professionally, and is grateful for the opportunity to be in professional productions.
“At some point, I have to check in with myself every so often and be like, ‘Oh my God, I am actually doing this,’” she said. “Thinking that I am in these real theaters with such talented people is really crazy.”
As Sood continues to perform in local theater, she is excited to see what her future holds and continues to encourage others to follow their own dreams.
“Just go for it,” she said. “I was very shy during the first couple of days of rehearsal for my first show, but I opened up and got used to it. Now it has become such a big part of my life, and you can never really know what it is going to do unless you try it.”
Paramount Theatre’s production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” will run through Jan. 14. Tickets can be purchased online at paramountaurora.com.