Owen Hilger, Clayton Crocker, Livy Crocker, Mason Yeater, Blake Fortier, Amaya Smith, Anastasia Hobbs, Quinn Yeater, Sammy Geis, Tatyana Hobbs, Liv Keslin, Ella Crites, Harrison Coon, and Annalisa Schuth. (Photo courtesy Rob Slavin, Indy Ghost Light Photography)
Come laugh & learn why you should stay in the audience
By STU CLAMPITT
Think you want to be in a play? Think again, laughing boy!
Main Street Productions is staging 30 Reasons Not to Be in a Play at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St., starting July 28. The Reporter spoke to Director Tanya Haas about all the reasons you belong in the audience, not on the stage.
“The show opens with most of the cast members coming out,” Haas said. “Each is a different narrator basically saying, ‘You make think that it’s really fun to be in a play, but we’re here to tell you that it’s a really bad idea,’ then they proceed to tell you all of the horrible reasons why you shouldn’t be in a play, which are obviously ridiculous and over-the-top.”
Ella Crites rehearsing for 30 Reasons. (Photo courtesy Rob Slavin, Indy Ghost Light Photography)
It took Haas two years to get this show on stage because she had planned it for the summer of 2020. Fortunately, even the pandemic was not able to stop the high comedy audiences have waiting for them in this summer youth production. All COVID-19 could do was delay the laughs a little.
“In 2019 I heard from some friends that they were looking for a youth show for the summer of 2020 at [Basile] Westfield Playhouse,” Haas said. “They were typically doing non-musical shows to separate themselves from a lot of the other community theaters who do musicals in the summer. I came across this show and just reading through it was making me laugh out loud. I’ve had two years to plan all of the insanity that goes along with this show. I think it has definitely lived up to my vision of crazy.”
This show will have 19 young actors ranging in age from seven to 18.
“Obviously, there is a very wide array of experience levels among that large of an age span,” Haas told The Reporter. “Five of the cast members have never done anything on stage. Some of the older kids have quite a bit of experience. We have a young lady who is 11, but she is a professional-level actress.”
Mason Yeater and Neil Hackman rehearsing for 30 Reasons. (Photo courtesy Rob Slavin, Indy Ghost Light Photography)
Some kids are playing several characters. There are different characters for every ‘Reason’ in the show.
“I did ask the five oldest members of the cast if they would keep an eye on the younger ones in case they needed help or encouragement,” Haas said. “They have been very good about mentoring the younger kids. Despite the big age gaps, everybody gets along very well, and they are having a ton of fun.”
Getting some of the young actors to be open to the over-the-top way Haas wanted them to act was a bit of a problem in the beginning, but she told The Reporter is has all come together even better than she hoped.
“They have definitely warmed up more to the physical comedy from the beginning of rehearsals to now,” Haas said. “I told them to get as big and crazy as they can possibly get because that’s the nature of this show. It’s utterly ridiculous. It’s supposed to be utterly ridiculous and the more over-the-top they can be with it, the funnier it’s going to be. They have definitely taken a strong hold of that philosophy and run with it.”
This is a family-friendly for all ages. You don’t have to know anything about theater to enjoy the show. It’s not really about being in a play. It’s just about being ridiculous and having some laughs.
Tickets are just $17 for adults 18 and older, $15 for seniors 62 and older, $15 for students with ID, and always free for active military personnel and veterans with ID.
Get your tickets today at westfieldplayhouse.org. You deserve a night of comedy, and these kids deserve to have a full house for opening night.
Congratulations to Tanya Haas and to all the young performers for putting this all together!