Nearly a week after junior year began for Isabella LaBlanc, she was casted as an extra for The Jingle Dress, A film directed by William Eigen and sponsored by the Minnesota TV and Film Board.

“I am what you call a ‘featured extra’ meaning I am on screen here and there, but I don’t really have a story arc,” she said. “I’m a cousin, so I show up at all the family functions [in the movie].”

“The story revolves around a man, John Red Elk, and his family as they move from the reservation in Northern Minnesota to Minneapolis,” LaBlanc said. “In its essence it’s about adaptation and how to keep yourself grounded in tradition while also functioning in the modern world.”

Usually, LaBlanc was called for around 6 hours at a time to focus on only one or two scenes. “Which means that for that whole time you are really just doing the same thing over and over again, getting different angles and such,” LaBlanc said.

She was on set a few times in September, and as filming wrapped up, she missed a bit of school. “[Upper School counselor Susanna] Short and [the SPA] administration were very supportive in the fact that this was a great opportunity for me,” LaBlanc said, “but they wanted to make sure that school was still put first.”

However, a situation like this isn’t unfamiliar for this actress. She has participated in theater outside of school since her freshman year, including the History Theatre’s production of “Tales Along the Minnesota Trail.”

LaBlanc greatly appreciates how understanding her teachers were about her workload. “When you’re doing a full length production you not only have to deal with missing school for performances but also balancing your energy during the vigorous rehearsal schedules,” she said. “Time management is key; you really have to learn to pace yourself, prioritize and communicate.”

“Being with the cast makes it all worthwhile; it’s so much fun to be with people that are just as passionate about the craft as you are,” LaBlanc said.

Most of all, she valued “The Jingle Dress’” focus on a modern Native American story. “We so often get forgotten in the media, and I am more than honored that I got to be part of a production that is telling this kind of story,” LaBlanc said.

Want to read more about SPA students involved with the film?  Read Charlotte Hughes’ profile here.