Growing With GREAT – Nora’s Story

Nora Vedder has been in so many GREAT Theatre summer camps that she can’t estimate exactly how many it’s been. But it’s been a lot! Now eleven years old, she was just four when she first participated. That involvement over the past two-thirds of her life has prepared her for this moment- performing in a play that people pay to see!

Nora stars as Rabbit in GREAT’s Youth Artist Project: Disney’s Winnie the Pooh KIDS. She describes her character as

“Frantic… someone who jumps to conclusions and is proud of her ability to solve puzzles.”

Her journey to this moment is built on years of camps, where she’s acted in The Addams Family, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, and Snow White, among others. Nora credits those early experiences with giving her the confidence and skills to help her land a role in Winnie the Pooh. Her mom, Valerie Vedder, adds that Nora’s dance training has helped refine her stage presence, while her dad, Timm Vedder, points out that Nora has evolved from simply memorizing lines to truly bringing stories to life. As he told her, “It seems like your acting has gone from simple memorization and recitation to understanding [the character].”

This (being in a full production) is different from camp,” Nora explained, describing a “real theatre” feel. “People other than your parents come to see it. (no offense, Mom)” Costumes are a big change, too. “You actually get fitted,” she said. GREAT’s costume team meticulously measures and fits each character for costumes that allow for optimal movement and help actors to best tell the stories on stage. “I got my own shoes and they’re actually pretty cute.”

While the excitement of being in a full production is real, Nora sees how camp shaped her journey. “I’ve become a better actor over the years of doing camps.  I feel like doing the camps, the camps got more and more and more like…legit.” 

Valerie added, “We’re always amazed by how quickly all the ages- all the kids – learn their lines, learn their blocking, and we’re like, ‘They only had a week?! What in the world!?’”

Camps teach kids to collaborate quickly and focus on their individual contributions to a project.

“We’re just a really passionate theatre family”, said Valerie, who played Annie Cannon in GREAT’s production of Silent Sky in spring of 2024. She’s also a valuable part of our team that makes theatre more accessible as an American Sign Language interpreter for multiple GREAT shows. Nora’s dad did theatre in high school and continued in college, where he met Valerie. Timm’s more recent performances include GREAT’s The Great Gatsby, a radio theatre collaboration with KVSC, and last winter, he performed as Agnes, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters in Stage North Theatre Company’s A Cinderella Christmas. Nora’s brother George is also a performer who attended GREAT summer camps!

Audiences have given Nora and her castmates rave reviews. One audience member told us,

“This was absolutely delightful. The kids did a marvelous job!”

“Kids” in this case includes the seven high school students who led the production and the 16 who performed. This project is youth led, and so just like with camps, kids are here to learn and to have fun doing it!

As the curtain closes on Winnie the Pooh, Nora’s unsure about what she may do next. She’s mulling a Mary Poppins audition and will definitely attend camp next summer. There is still more to learn and ways to grow!