AMBER MATTICE
Assistant Reverb Editor
This year the Department of Theatre and Dance will be putting on a particularly interesting show. It will be whimsical, humorous and enjoyable for all ages.
The show is “James and the Giant Peach,” which many know as the book written by Roald Dahl. It is a story many grew up with and remember from their childhood, and much of the cast is incredibly excited to bring the story to life on stage.
“I think it’s gonna be a really good show. I think that everyone is going to react very well to it. It’s a fairytale, it’s a show of wonder, and it’s a book that a lot of people read when they were young,” said senior BFA theatre arts major Kiernan Matts. “Anytime you can see a piece of your childhood come to life in front of you, it’s an amazing experience.”
After casting was done, rehearsals and preparation began and have been going on since about September. Each role is unique, and those who are performing have found something to make the character their own. The goal is to bring something new to the performance while still following the story that so many know and love.
The cast, as well as Director Ted Sharon, has been putting a great deal of focus into making the performance enjoyable for children, as well as everyone else in attendance.
“It’s a story that appeals to all ages. It’s like a kids show that’s for the kid in everyone and not just for children,” said senior BFA musical theatre major Anna Chicco.
There are many ways in which the cast has made each character its own thus far, but members are also still evolving the characters as they rehearse and practice. Through accents, movements and communication with fellow actors, everyone involved is progressing each individual performance so that they are perfect by the time they finally hit the stage.
“Something that we’re doing that has not been done, to my knowledge, at Fredonia is the use of aerial silks,” said Matts. “The silk room will actually be above the audience during the performance, and people will be doing falls and tricks. We haven’t had someone in a long time with this skill set that we were able to put to use in a production like this, so I think that’s gonna be a really cool thing for the audience to see.”
Another thing that really stands out about this performance is the fact that the Department of Theatre and Dance has brought in a 12-year-old to act and perform in the play. Alexandra Pucci-Schaefer is currently in sixth grade and adds a great deal to the performance.
“It was a little stressful [to prepare] in such a short amount of time, but I just really love working with absolutely everyone and I’m really gonna miss it,” said Pucci-Schaefer.
Her determination to perfect the performance alongside her fellow actors and actresses further proves just how hard the cast is working to ensure the audience is both captivated and inspired.
One thing that the director and the cast decided that they wanted to do was include a lot of audience interaction. There are several scenes throughout the play in which the audience will be asked to interact with a character on stage by taking off a shoe or answering a question.
The process behind preparing for a performance of this caliber has certainly been an interesting one and really shows just how dedicated everyone involved is.
Chicco said that the rehearsal process has been crazy and nuts.
“It has been an extremely collaborative process, which made it exceedingly fun because there were so many ideas being thrown around.” Chicco continued, “But that also made it as crazy as the peach itself. Now that we’ve really found a direction to go in, we’re heading towards that.”
The play is certainly going to be a fun performance that truly captures the book by Dahl that so many love.
Performances will be held in Bartlett Theatre on April 22, 23 and 28–30 at 7:30 p.m. and April 24 at 2 p.m.