
Tell us about your current life.
I currently work in video and film production in Tokyo, Japan. My work ranges from
being a videographer for small businesses and universities to working as a
technician on larger-scale commercial and film productions, often coming
from overseas, including Mozart in the Jungle, where I was able to work with
Broadway legend Bernadette Peters (!!!). Of course with Covid, my work has been
radically altered: those overseas jobs vanished with the postponement of the
Olympics and the strict travel restrictions imposed by the Japanese government.
Rather than let this paralyze or dissuade me, I instead chose to approach this as
an opportunity to radically overhaul the work that I do, putting an emphasis on
smaller-scale jobs which forced me to improve my Japanese language ability,
reestablish connections with my local community and ultimately create a series of
short documentaries about the small business owners in my neighborhood of
Tokyo called “On the Line,” which you can see here: https://kylemccloskey.com/portfolio/project-on-the-line/. I hope as we move forward I can
continue to find this newfound balance between external work and personal
projects.
Tell us about your history with MCT.
I’m a Marine Corps brat, so my first experience with MCT came while my family
was stationed on MCAS Iwakuni in southern Honshu, the main island of Japan. I
remember how students of all ages, elementary to high school, would cram into the
gymnasium for the audition process, rehearse our pieces for hours after school,
and ultimately perform the show to a packed house in the Sakura theater. Whether
it was Beauty Lou and the Country Beast or The Wiz of the West, I looked forward
to the MCT staff’s visits every single year. I was also fortunate enough to attend
one of the summer camps at Seeley Lake, where we performed an abridged
version of Into the Woods.
What’s your favorite MCT memory or MCT moment?
Besides the time I auditioned for “Jack” in Into the Woods and my voice cracked
right at the final note of “Giants in the Sky”?
Seriously though, my favorite memories are all about the joy of performing, of
being on-stage, of working with my friends from school but in a whole new way.
When you’re growing up, you don’t often get the chance to perform with people like
that; we place a greater emphasis on sports and studying, but the alchemy and
camaraderie that comes from putting on a show is one-of-a-kind. I remember so
clearly getting the chance to perform as “Pa Munch” in The Wiz of the West, and
practicing my part for hours, getting the steps right, memorizing the lyrics and the
melodies. I can still sing them today actually!
What legacy has MCT left with you?
In many ways, MCT is still a part of my life. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I would
meet with the MCT groups traveling through Japan and hear about their latest
adventures, which shows they were producing, whether or not their props had
survived the flight. My parents live in Polson, Montana, so when I visit them, I have
coffee with Terri (Elander). But more than this, MCT is partially responsible for my
career path: if I hadn’t had that intense and meaningful exposure to the arts every
year growing up, I doubt I would have placed everything on the line myself to
chase a career in a creative industry or cultivated the skills to operate in a bilingual
production environment. I definitely wouldn’t be writing and directing my own short
films and documentaries. I owe MCT so much for giving me the courage to be an
artist and for shaping the way that I see and approach the world, both as a
technician and as a storyteller.
What is your view on the impact of arts on children and communities?
You can imagine that I’m quite passionate about this!
At the risk of painting with an overly broad brush, I think we underestimate the
value of the arts for our communities and for our children. We might think of them
as “unproductive” and “meaningless,” but the truth is that the arts are the most
meaningful things we can provide for our future. They connect us to one another
and to our histories, they make us stronger, they help us see the world in a
different way. The best stories I’ve ever heard are not the most clever, but rather
the most honest. The arts give us a lens with which to view the world, they make
us curious and open to new experiences, and it is so important that those who
come after us have access to them, regardless of geography. So to all the
members of the MCT staff, thank you for the work that you do in making sure
children around the world have the chance to experience firsthand the power and
importance of the arts.
Anything to add?
Geez, will you even have space for more words? I feel like I wrote you a novel!