Helping Young Performers Find Confidence, Community Through Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative

When Maci Johnson was 9, she wanted to audition for a community theater production of “The Little Mermaid,” but she never made it to the stage.

“I got scared,” she recalls.

Today, the Holderness teen has appeared in 19 productions with Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, including multiple roles in this summer’s upcoming performance of “Shrek.” Along the way, she has discovered confidence, lifelong friendships and a place where she truly belongs.

Johnson is one of many young people whose lives have been enriched through Powerhouse, a nonprofit supported by grants from the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund. Through grants to roughly 80 organizations each year, the Children’s Fund is transforming the lives of local children and teens throughout the Lakes Region.

“I genuinely don’t know what my life would look like if I hadn’t joined Powerhouse,” Johnson says. “It’s added so much color to my life.”

An elementary school art teacher later encouraged Johnson to audition for Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” She submitted a video audition and was cast as Tiny Tim.

“I’d only ever been a nameless orphan before,” she says. “I was blown away to be working more closely with people in my second big theater experience.”

That role launched what has become a remarkable journey. 

Since joining Powerhouse, Johnson has appeared in 19 productions. She now 16 and entering her junior year at Plymouth Regional High School.

In August, audiences will see her as one of the Three Blind Mice, a Duloc dancer and a tap dancing rat in “Shrek.”

Among her favorite memories is playing Winnie Foster in “Tuck Everlasting.”

“It was one of the only times I’ve ever cried because a show was ending,” Johnson says. “It was so much fun. The music was beautiful, and it made me so happy to be part of that group.”

For Johnson, theater has become about much more than performing.

“It’s a break from reality for a little while,” she says. “The community has a lot to do with it. I’m on stage performing with people that I love and want to spend more time with.”

She says Powerhouse helped her become more confident both on and off the stage.

“Most of my friends at school are sports people,” Johnson says. “I’m a theater person. It helped me realize it’s okay that we all have different interests.”

Discovering her people

One production, “Seussical,” proved especially meaningful.

“‘A Christmas Carol’ was fun, but it wasn’t until ‘Seussical’ that I discovered my people,” Johnson says.

She credits veteran performers Katie Duncan and Tess Hodges, who portrayed her parents in the production, with making her feel welcome from the beginning.

“They were so warm and welcoming,” she says. “I immediately fell in love with both of them. They’re amazing people and amazing performers.”

Johnson also credits producers Bryan and Johanna Halperin with helping her grow both as a performer and as a person.

“They’ve been such a great support system,” she says. “They helped me know how supportive the community was and helped me open up and explore more as a performer.”

Now one of the company’s more experienced youth performers, Johnson enjoys welcoming younger cast members and encouraging them to become part of the theater community.

About Powerhouse

Founded in 2020 as the resident theater company of the Colonial Theatre in Laconia, Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative builds community through community theater. The nonprofit welcomes performers ages 6 to more than 90 through large scale productions, workshops and its Power Chords choir.

While audiences often comment on the professional quality of its productions, producers Bryan and Johanna Halperin say they are most proud of something else.

“Participants not only get a chance to fulfill their artistic desires, but find an instant family to connect with,” Bryan says. “Our shows may be award-winning, but we are most proud of the theater family we have built at Powerhouse.”

More than 450 people have participated in at least one Powerhouse production, and 50 performers have earned membership in the organization’s 10 Show Club and three in the 25 Show Club; the clubs recognize milestones for people who have made a commitment to the group.

Johnson believes organizations like the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund make those experiences possible. “I think anything that provides opportunities for kids in this area and supports Powerhouse is amazing,” she says. “I’m very grateful.”

Article written by Janice Beetle from Janice Beetle Books

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