Volunteer Spotlight: The Zanger Siblings
This month, we’re shining the spotlight on siblings William and Briana, who have been dedicated QCT volunteers for the past few years. From lending their talents behind the scenes to now stepping into the spotlight together in DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE MUSICAL, their enthusiasm and teamwork make them an invaluable part of the QCT family!
1. Tell us a little about yourselves!
Briana – My name is Briana Zanger. I am a Senior at Ulmus Academy in Quincy. I am the oldest of six kids. All my siblings are boys. With such a big family, life can be hectic sometimes, but I’m grateful for them. I have lived in Quincy for most of my life. I briefly lived in other places, including Chicago, Cedar Rapids, IA, and Mt. Vernon, Washington.
William – Hello! My name is William Zanger, and I am from Quincy. I am 12 years old and I am a 7th grader at Ulmus Academy. I’m number 3 of 6 kids in my family (stuck in the middle)!
2. How did you become involved with QCT?
Briana – When I was little, my parents would take me to watch some performances at QCT. I don’t really remember going to them or fully understanding what QCT was. The reason I became involved was because of the Ginos family. When I was about 12, my Aunt Julie Ginos told me I should audition for JUNIE B. JONES, so I did. My audition was absolutely terrible. I had no idea what to expect. Anyway, I was not cast. They asked if I would like to be on crew, and I thought that would be fun. I wasn’t really sure what crew did, but I knew I wanted to be involved. I absolutely loved being on crew. I loved getting to meet the student theatre community. After that, I just kept helping out where I could. The first show I got cast in was the traveling show LIONS IN ILLYRIA in 2023. Through the years, I also corrupted my brothers. I slowly roped Dominic and William into getting involved with the theatre. So far, I have been on crew for 11 shows, acted in four, and attended four Bootcamps. I love being able to create a beautiful story to share with the community and grow connected with people who really understand me. I have grown very close to the student theatre kids. Throughout the years, we started to form our own little friend group. I don’t really have any other friends except for the ones at QCT. Without QCT, my life would be very depressing. I have so much love, pride, and appreciation for Quincy Community Theatre.
William – My older siblings were on crew at QCT for “YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN,” and I fell in love with the theatre. All the kids in Charlie Brown were so talented, and they were all so HAPPY. I wanted to be up there and entertain people. Hearing my siblings talk about the QCT family made me want to join so I could also be a part of all their hilarious stories. The first thing I ever did was a Puppeteer class held by Brendan. I started auditioning for every student show that I could. It was at the QCT Triple Threat Bootcamp that I found out how much I love to sing. I sang with my siblings before, but singing on stage and working with the vocal coaches really built a love for performing. Don’t be scared, just go for it! When I was 9, I was in THE MUSIC MAN. I really enjoyed being able to do the choreography (even though it was challenging). I loved being part of a story and seeing it being pieced together like a puzzle.
3. What is your role in/for DIARY OF A WIMPY KID?
Briana – My role in WIMPY KID is Hooligan 2 and Overgrown Kid 2. My role is to bully Greg Heffley and make his life miserable. I am also in a few smaller ensemble roles. There were so many things that I was excited about. I was mainly excited about getting to be on the main stage for the first time and being in a musical for the first time. I was also excited about getting to be in a show with my brother.
William – I play Greg Hefley. I‘m excited to see a character I really like come to life. I read him in the Diary books, and now it is so wild BECOMING Greg. It is awesome to play him.
4. What made you want to get involved with DIARY OF A WIMPY KID?
Briana – I got involved with DIARY OF A WIMPY KID because I try to audition whenever I can. Cecilia told me she was assistant directing, and I thought it would be fun to do another show with her. It’s also just a very fun musical. I listened to it on YouTube and was very excited that QCT was going to perform it there.
William – I try to audition for every student play because you never know when the right role will be out there. I fell in love with theatre during “CHARLIE BROWN”, and to me, “DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE MUSICAL” was a show just like that. Both young boys, slightly wimpy, both telling the story of going to school from their own perspective. l liked the connection!
5. What’s been the most challenging part of the rehearsal process of the show so far? What have you learned?
Briana – I think the hardest part so far was the singing. Since this was my first musical, I wasn’t quite used to learning different harmony parts. Nicole Dieker Finley, our music director, did a good job breaking down for me and answering all my questions. Each time I work on a production, I get better at something and learn more about theatre.
William – The first week was the hardest! The first couple of rehearsals were a mental test on how not to be hard on yourself. Let yourself mess up a little and play with your character. I had to stay confident as I was “feeling everything out” in this new role. Right when rehearsals started, my new school year also started. So, making sure to keep up with everything and stay balanced was important. After the first few rehearsals, things got so much easier, and the run-throughs of the play were so smooth! I mostly learned to lean on my castmates and directors. They would never let me go out there and look like a fool.
6. What’s something about the process of doing a show that audiences may not know or realize?
Briana – I don’t think they fully realize how much money, time, and effort go into a show. The actors are there almost every day for two months. Everyone working on the show has their own life. They have jobs, school, family, after-school programs, etc. They are giving up their time to the theatre. They are spending their time creating art for the audience.
William – Effort! Things look so smooth on stage, but the audience doesn’t understand the two months it took to get us there! The amount of staging and thought that goes into everything. And the amount of people!
7. What’s it like working alongside your sibling in this production?
Briana – It’s really great. I love watching him grow closer to the student theatre kids and make his own friends there. This is also a very good bonding time for us. We both cheer each other on during rehearsal. We don’t interact much during rehearsal because we are both busy working, but we are able to practice at home together and recall hilarious things that happened. I think it’s really funny that I was cast as the bully of my real-life little brother.
William – It is fun! It is great because we get to practice together. Briana and I rehearse every day at home, and if she sees an area that I need to do better at, we have all that time at home to go over everything. She is also the one who got the email first, and she surprised me by telling me I got the role of Greg. Dominic has been a great support because I can talk with him about all my feelings about theatre. He has been where I am and talks me through it. It is going to be amazing having him backstage with me during the show nights!
8. What would you say to encourage someone to get involved at QCT?
Briana – Whenever I try to get someone interested in the theatre, I talk about the community. I talk about my experience and how I found my people. I love that we all just get to play and be silly together. I met the most amazing people at the theatre. I made lifelong friends there. I also talk about the art that we are creating. I love creating a show as a community. It’s a very satisfying group art project.
William – Welcome, weirdos! This is the place for you! Be brave because this is the most encouraging place. It is the only place where you can take chances! My mom always says, “Do it scared!” Just try it out!