When last we saw cast members gathered to begin work on the upcoming Saline High School Drama Club musical Newsies, their numbers topped four dozen in a large, brightly lit choir room. Cast members’ energy may well have been felt across the hall, on into the library. [1-3]
Three weeks and the passage of some holiday breaks later, the rehearsal room located not far away, tucked behind the Ellen A Ewing Center stage, set in marked contrast to what we’ve called that December 20 “Act I.” Four draped walls, midnight black, boxed a charcoal floor.
A single, modestly sized table seemed as if to float within as the only bit of furniture in a space obviously capable of accomodating so much more.
Director, producer, and costume designer sat about in chairs, facing books and old magazine clippings and a laptop that alternatively served up references to all the elements that needed to work in concert for this production of Newsies: The Musical when it opens here, exactly four weeks from tomorrow. [4-6]
The amount of original material here on hand in service to no more than reference would have brought delight to any historical archivist. “This is the color palette we have to work with in the time,” came one broad overview.
“Blues and greys and blacks are for ‘the bad guys,'” added Director Rebecca Groeb. “‘Earth tones’ are for the newsies.”
As behind-the-scenes stories go, this one continues to unfold with as much interesting substance and points of engagement as are anticipated for the show itself. For example, within an obviously clear vision for the look of our SHS Drama Club Newsies, there is an equally collaborative process en route to getting there. What choices can be made with respect to budget vis, say, local second-hand stores? Which styles are “close enough” to the period versus not?
How to we best dress girls as boys when called for in flexibility among roles played?
How do we ensure sensitivity, respect, and good taste in dressing students actors for more “grown up” roles that some of them will be playing here?
Fabric textures (particularly in terms of movement) we discussed as much as colors and patterns.
The first scene of “Act II” closed with a call for cast members to show up for one of two fittings in this very same room, two weeks hence.
That “set” was similar to the first in location only: On the weekend including dates of January 25 and 26, the dominant pieces consisted of costuming. Piles and baskets with options that had been acquired from donation, some purchases, or pulled from the impressive inventory carefully catalogued and preserved elsewhere in the high school building. Elsewhere, clothes that hadn’t earned a place among final selection. Off to another side, two racks for final selections — carefully tagged with names.
Over the course of several hours each day, house lights were shut off, replaced by stage lights specifically aimed at one corner of the room where actors would model individual choices for scrutiny. Even in the absense of dialogue, action, and makeup, each vignette gave any casual onlooker a feel for the aggregate elements of desired result that had up until now been no more than talk.
But even now, input was organized by those in a position to have say here. “Good enough” was never a first option (if ever) if something better or best could be reasonably imagined.
Only then did the curtain came down on Act II here.
References
- “Hours after the last bell rang for classes in 2019, SHS Drama Club musical cast was still hard at work on Act I” Dell Deaton (December 21, 2019) Saline Journal.
- SHS Drama Club (home page).
- “Newsies” SHS Drama Club.
- “Newsies: The Musical” (February 28, 2020) Saline Journal.
- “Newsies: The Musical” (February 29, 2020) Saline Journal.
- “Newsies: The Musical” (March 1, 2020) Saline Journal.
