In the fall, the Foothiller Players brought attention to the real lives of working class Americans in the play "Nickle and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich. But now the thespians have sprung into action to transform the Little Theater into a Greek electro-pop dream complete with blue and white architecture reminiscent of the Cycladic Islands. This is done not as a renovation project for the drama room, but in preparation for the spring production of Mamma Mia! I was given exclusive access to one of the rehearsals for this special preview article.
As I entered the Little Theater, I stepped into a swarm of creative energy. Cast and crew members zipped all around me, fixing pieces of the set or socializing with their peers- it was a scene which paralleled a Broadway greenroom. The cast appeared to be very tight-knit which lends them the upper hand in regard to on-stage chemistry. As I took a seat and waited for the rehearsal to start, I was both excited and intrigued to observe the unique stage setup, with audience on all sides, that the production would be taking place in, and I was curious to see how the director would be able to pull the difficult stage setup off.
When I inquired about the rehearsal start time, Ivana Bivens, who plays Ally in the show, replied starkly with "whenever Ecker is ready." With that I sat back in my chair with the same obedience of a soldier awaiting the orders of their commander. These orders followed soon thereafter with Ecker's battlecry: "Let's get this show on the road!"
For readers unversed in the plot of Mamma Mia, Sophie is a girl who lives on a Greek island with her mother Donna, played by Ruby Lytle. Sophie is bound to get married the following day, and wishes her father could attend. However, she has not met her father. After snooping through Donna's diary, Sophie invites three potential fathers: Sam Carmichael, Bill Anderson, and Harry Bright. Sophie does not tell Donna about her ploy, and the rest of the musical follows the musings of Sophie, Donna, the three men, and a whole funky cast of characters.
Photos: Foothiller Players
The lights came up on Sophie, played by Trinity Buck, reading from her mother's diary and singing the song "I Had a Dream." Trinity's vocal talent was not only technically impressive, but also truly communicated the very personal dilemma within her character Sophie. After the first song fades into the background, we are introduced to Sophie's best friends and bridesmaids: Ally, played by Ivana Bivens, and Lisa, played by Aubrey Clark.
From there the audience is thrust into the upbeat melody of "Honey, Honey." The three pals sing and dance in a cheerful and cheeky manner which commanded the attention of the audience and was undeniably amusing to watch. From there we are introduced to the three potential fathers, featuring Josh Kelly as Bill Anderson, touting a very convincing Australian accent. The whole cast is so electric and full of energy that many in the audience may feel the need to get up and sing and dance with them!
Photos: Foothill Players
Between takes I was able to ask Mari DaSilva, a crew member for the productions, some questions about the process of making the show come to life.
Q: How long are rehearsals usually?
A: "Generally 3-4 hours. Although rehearsals which occur on Saturdays can be anywhere from 8-10 hours."
Q: Wow! How frequent are these rehearsals?
A: "The rehearsals are usually every day unless there is a school
event or field trip which conflicts."
Q: What do you and other crew members do on a daily basis?
A: "We do jobs such as carpentry and construction, painting, and
any other set design needs. We also have people on lights and
sound."
Photos: Foothiller Players
If you think that being a Foothiller Player may be the right fit for you, you can contact the drama teacher Amity Ecker at aecker@guhsd.net or stop by and see her in the Little Theatre to talk about taking drama class next year!