Ado Annie is “just a girl who cain’t say no,” but will she say yes to Will Parker? Sammie Stella plays Ado Annie and Chase Richmond plays Will Parker in Act Out Theatre Group’s production of Oklahoma!
Photo Credit — Submitted by Act Out Theatre Group
Just what is that ol’ peddler man Ali Hakim trying to sell Aunt Eller? Find out this weekend and next at Act Out Theatre Group in Taylor. From left: Vivan Santiago, playing Aunt Eller, and Lila Boyle, playing Ali Hakim.
Photo Credit — Submitted by Act Out Theatre Group
TAYLOR — Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry because Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” is coming to Act Out Theatre Group for two weekends.
A cast of 19 will present the classic musical weekends from Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 18.
“Oklahoma, as a whole, is as classic of a love story as you can get,” said cast member Chase Richmond of Throop. “A man and a woman fall in love while also dealing with their own personal conflicts — which stops them from having what they truly want. True love.”
Richmond plays Will Parker, a fancy-footed cowboy who desperately wants to marry Ado Annie. Richmond alternates the role with Julian Biederman of Lake Ariel. Ado Annie is played by Sammie Stella of Plains and Maddan Bennett of Throop.
Double casting, where two actors are assigned the same role and alternate shows, is something Act Out Theatre Group owner, Dan Pittman, tries to do as much as possible. Typically, double casting allows a performer to play a leading and ensemble role.
“As a workshop theatre, we want the rehearsal process to be as much of a learning experience as it can possibly be,” said Pittman, of Plymouth. “We try to double cast whenever we can, and whenever it makes sense.”
Pittman stressed the importance of performers learning the nuances that go into being an ensemble member. Six roles are double cast in “Oklahoma!” The theatre is also double casting “Madagascar Jr.,” which is currently rehearsing and going up at the end of May.
Macie Bennett of Throop, who along with Lily Keefe of Gouldsboro play Laurey Williams in the show, said “Oklahoma!” has been a dream show of hers. She campaigned for Pittman to put up the show for two years.
“I really wanted to do the show because I love all of the dancing in the it,” Bennett said. “The ballet is definitely one of my favorite parts of the show, and I am so excited to perform it.”
For those who are unfamiliar, “Oklahoma!” features a major dream ballet in the middle of the production. It also features a wise-cracking yet caring matriarch named Aunt Eller, and a handsome, albeit bowlegged, cowboy named Curly McLain, who couldn’t stop a pig in the road. Aunt Eller is played by Vivian Santiago of Dunmore and Lila Stefanski of Dunmore. Miguel Rodriguez of Moosic plays Curly.
“I really love how assertive and funny she is,” Santiago said of Aunt Eller. “She balances well with her overall sass and sometimes reluctant willingness to take care of others who arguably don’t deserve it. She’s a better lady than me sometimes, in that regard, and it’s nice to still play a similarly matriarch-like character with nicer intentions than some of the antagonists I’ve played.”
The cast also features Lila Boyle, Ava Nitch, Molly Pokrinchak, Ireland Scott, Cari Altenhain, Brynn Bruner, Leah Mitchell, Liv Mitchell, Zoey Schlittler and Juliet Renard.
Tickets for “Oklahoma!” can be purchased at the door or online at www.actouttheatre.com. Adult tickets are $15 and student and senior tickets are $10. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
