Acting camp to cast: Lifetime movie filmed in KC gives young actors their TV dream moment 

A Lifetime movie debuting this weekend not only shines a spotlight on Kansas City, said Elaina Paige Thomas, but it showcases talent at The Next Paige, Kansas City’s first Black-owned talent management agency.

“Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story” — set to premiere Saturday, Jan. 18 — was filmed this fall in various locations across Kansas City, produced by KC-based AGA Productions. It features several young Kansas City actors, including seven who were trained through The Next Paige Foundation’s Creative Camp program.

“Seeing these littles at camp, their growth and then watching them in movie trailers — getting wardrobe, and on screen, their dreams are actually happening in their life,” said Thomas, founder and president of The Next Paige and a casting director and associate producer on the film. “It’s tangible. They can touch it. Seeing their dreams come true; it made mine come true.”

“Next Paige is more than just an agency,” she added. “It’s a community.”

Extras from “Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story” included Tripp Adams, Gabriel Davis, Amera Dowell, Truly Cowly, and Zhen Cowly; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The Next Paige actors featured in the Lifetime film include Kaiden Johnson, Tripp Starr, Amera Dowell, Gabriel Davis, Tripp Adams, Truly Cowly, and Zhen Cowly.

Elaina Paige Thomas, The Next Paige Agency, speaks during a panel conversation featuring the 2024 finalists for the “Mr. K” Award; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“These are my babies,” Thomas continued. “Some of these kids I’ve worked with and known since they were in the womb. So training them in our Creative Camp program through our foundation has really set them up for success. This was a test to see if they could really apply the wisdom from everything that they’ve learned.”

The Creative Camp program focuses on acting, dance, music, and creative development, instilling confidence and professional skills in young performers, according to The Next Paige, one of the finalists for the KC Chamber’s 2024 Small Business of the Year Award.

“One thing that the director told me was, ‘It was so easy for us to cast them all together because of the chemistry that they had,’” Thomas explained. “And that was the chemistry that they created at camp and just bonding together and already knowing one another and being able to act on screen.”

“They did so well with their facials and expressions that they ended up using them more than they had even planned to,” she added. “So that was really exciting for them to have that experience and actually getting more of a role in the film and then becoming a featured extra.”

Kansas City’s Kaiden Johnson, left, is shown on screen alongside his fellow actors during filming; courtesy photo

Behind the scenes

Kaiden Johnson (as Ahmed) and Tripp Starr (as Daryl) both had speaking roles in the movie, alongside lead actors Paige Hurd and Stephen Bishop.

“It was kind of nerve wracking at first because I have never been on a set like that with notable actors and actresses,” said Starr, who is a University of Missouri-Kansas City student. “But I didn’t shy away from it. Everybody made me feel like I was at home. I just honed into my own craft and just let it work.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Kaiden added.

Thomas noted that the young actors even got to meet the movie’s namesake Laura Cowan, whose story of escaping abuse informs the narrative of the film.

“She was actually on set, so that was really cool,” Thomas said. “I remember when I first read the story line, I was a little nervous at first because some of it was like, ‘Whoa, is it too dark for these children?’ But they were true professionals on set. No one you know freaked out or anything. They handled it with grace and professionalism.”

Elaina Paige Thomas, right, poses with Laura Cowan on set for the filming of “Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story,” a Lifetime movie shot in Kansas City; courtesy photo

For Gabriel Davis, it was his first movie and he said it was a learning experience.

“It was inspiring,” he added. “It was a taste of what you could do. And I really want to do more.”

Elaina Paige Thomas, an associate producer “Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story,” watches scenes being filmed in Kansas City; courtesy photo

Roll credits

Thomas — who has also helped with casting other movies filmed in Kansas City like “Boris is Dead” and “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” — got the call about casting for “Girl in the Garage” just three weeks before filming started, she shared.

“I only had two weeks to get everybody in place as the casting agent,” she explained, noting the casting was open to everyone in Kansas City, not just The Next Paige talent. “So I worked with another casting agent out of L.A. They had already booked all the leads, and then I was in charge of booking all the local talent. There were other actors that flew in to act as local talent, too, from St. Louis and Chicago. Then we were in charge of booking all the background extras.”

At the end of the first week, she noted, they told her she would receive an associate producer credit.

“That became really cool for me because this was my first film on the other side of the camera, as I used to be an actress,” she explained. “And being able to impact so many lives, we booked over 100 actors for this movie. Being able to receive that first credit was just a dream come.”

Actors from The Next Paige Foundation’s Creative Camp program pose with cast members on the set of the Lifetime movie “Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story”; courtesy photo

“It brings everything full circle to me,” Thomas said. “When I moved back to Kansas City, I never imagined being able to impact so many lives.”

Thomas said she’s hoping more movie opportunities continue to roll in for local creatives at The Next Paige.

“It seems to be very lucrative here in Kansas City with that new tax film credit,” she continued. “I’m hoping that more investors start to see the talent that is here in Kansas City and will continue to support that initiative to bring films here for littles like them that are on the rise. These are rising stars in front of us and they are the next generation.”

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