Be prepared to make small talk when you walk into USM’s Russell Hall Theater this week. Talk karate with Sarah; discuss eight-track tape decks with Susan. Ask Harry what it’s like being married.
The characters in USM’s production of “Company” burst straight out of 1975 to mingle with the audience during the five or ten minutes before their show begins. Their lively hospitality sets the mood for a show filled with music, dancing and plenty of humor.
A coproduction of the Theatre Department and the School of Music, “Company” is a musical comedy by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth that originally opened on Broadway in 1970. Set in New York City, the play revolves around the character of Robert, a 35-year-old bachelor (played by USM senior Anthony Teixeira) who is trying to decide whether marriage is for him or if he’s better off single.
A fun-loving character, Robert is in great demand among his married friends, who often invite him over for company. In a series of vignettes, he visits with each of the five couples and observes their interactions, learning something about marriage from each of them.
Along the way, the personal quirks of the couples are pushed to the fore, lending the show much of its humor.
The married characters have a wide range of personalities and marital situations. The conservative, nurturing Jenny is married to the adventurous, pot smoking David. Sarah, a karate enthusiast who seems to have sexual feelings toward food, is married to the lighthearted recovering alcoholic Harry.
Amy is a neurotic but funny bride who pulls out of wedding her stable fianc? Paul because he is “too sweet.” Joanne, a wealthy, hard-drinking older woman, has divorced twice before marrying her current husband Larry. And sweet Southern belle Susan is about to divorce her husband, the sexually conflicted Peter.
Also featured are Robert’s three girlfriends, the kindhearted, marriage-craving Kathy, the artistic and opinionated Marta, and the humorously airheaded April.
“Company” marks the second collaboration between Director Will Kilroy, Musical Director Edward Reichert and Choreographer Ray Dumont. This team is a lot of fun to work with and an inspiration to student actors, said Crystal Thorne, a senior theater major.
“Every time, I find it to be a magical experience with the three of them,” she said. Thorne plays Joanne in “Company” and also worked with the same team on last year’s musical.
Kilroy, a professor of theater at USM, decided to set USM’s production of the play in the year 1975. All the costumes were handmade by costume designer Jodi Ozimek to reflect the fashions of that time. Kilroy also chose to feature a “Hollywood Squares” style set, with two levels and five squares, each representing a couple’s apartment. Theater department chair Charles Kading designed the set.
The challenge of acting in “Company,” Kilroy asserts, is that “you have to be somewhat of a triple threat.” The play requires that performers devote their concentration to singing and dancing, while still taking care to maintain their acting and stay in character.
Both Kilroy and Musical Director Reichert seem impressed with the student cast, Kilroy maintaining that the “talented members of the ensemble” are the production’s biggest strength.
“We have some extremely strong singers,” he said.
Actor Brian Wilson, a senior musical theater/music education major who plays Harry, finds that the syncopated rhythms of the music present one of the biggest challenges of working in the show. Thorne agrees. Sondheim musicals are often tricky, she said, but “Company” is especially so because some of the roles require fast, offbeat singing.
Director Kilroy and several of the cast members pointed out that not only is the play entertaining, but its exploration of relationships is educational. “I think you can find a lot about life through the show,” affirmed sophomore musical theater major Sara Johnson-Berz, who plays Kathy.
Unseen by the audience but essential to the show is the nine-piece band of USM music students who perform behind the set. Led by Reichert, the band includes trombone, trumpet, a reed section, two keyboards, a bass and drums. The interaction between the band and actors helps to make many of the comedic moments work.
Because Reichert is hidden from the actors’ view, cast members have had to memorize the musical timing of the show. Reichert coordinates the music with the action on stage by watching a remote TV monitor, which is fed by a camera set up on the balcony.
“Company” opened last Friday, and will be playing until Sunday, March 21 in the Russell Hall Theater on the Gorham campus. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 for students, $9 for seniors and $12 for the general public. For tickets and information call the USM Theatre box office at 780-5151.
Brian O’Keefe can be contacted at [email protected]