Hobnob with the jetsetters and sit sur la plage in Brehmer Theater this weekend to witness the talents involved in the Student Musical Theater Company’s (SMuTCo) performance of The Boyfriend.
The show opened Thursday evening to a packed and animated audience. Additional performances will be held Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., and at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are free with student ID.
Artistic direction is by Mary King, with senior Heather Wick serving as musical director, and junior Dave Thomas as stage manager.
The Boyfriend opens in the foyer of Madame Dubonnet’s finishing school for young women. Maisie, Dulcie, Nancy, Faye, and Polly are planning their costumes for the evening carnival ball. Their ‘boyfriends,’ Bobby, Pierre, Marcel, and Alphonse, await the evening.
Polly Browne, visibly upset that she does not have a date, takes to fabricating a boyfriend to match her friends. Musical numbers thread their way through the story.
By happenstance, Tony appears on the beach to deliver a package to her. They make plans to go to the ball together, but misinterpretations of the truth lead Polly to believe Tony is a thief. The play briefly follows the eccentricities and romances of other characters, including Polly’s father, who reunites with Madamme Dubonnet, and the fussy Lady and brash Lord Brockhurst, who takes to flirting with the young women.
The carnival commences, Tony rushes in at the last moment, couples happily pair off, and the curtain falls.
‘The Boyfriend gives us’a snapshot [of] the ‘tittering ’20’s’: 1926, the French Riviera, the globe-trotting leisure class three years before the Depression would begin. A time when love was of little consequence and one could take a semester off from Oxford to moonlight as a delivery boy without fear of jeopardizing a place in the ‘constituency’,’ King says in her director’s note.
The group had been rehearsing since late September. Open auditions were held over a three-day period, where actors were asked to sing a solo, dance, and at call-backs, were asked to read through a part.
First-year Jeff Smidt and sophomore Katherine Donovan played the leading roles of Tony and Polly respectively.
‘Being in the play has been a great experience. I’m really excited to be involved in ԱƵ theater. It is a much different theatrical experience than it was for me in high school, but I love it! The rehearsal schedule has been very intense, especially as of late, but we think that it’s all paid off substantially,’ said Smidt.
‘This was the first lead role I’ve played since eighth grade, so it was a challenge getting back into really having to act and portray a character that has to change through the show. [King] helped me a lot with this, helping me figure out Polly’s motivations, and to really understand her role in the show,’ Donovan said.
The play, being entirely student directed and designed, gave actors and behind-the-scenes types the chance to bond over a common goal.
‘I can’t say how much I’ve enjoyed acting with all these people. Working with such a talented cast and crew and production staff is a treat alone, but the friendships that have developed just make the whole experience even better. It’s been a wonderful ride and SMuTCo has been a wonderful chapter in my first semester at ‘Gate,’ Smidt said.
The pit orchestra was an integral part of the stage design, and featured a student ensemble of 10 performers with junior Dave Birken as conductor.
The sets were designed and constructed by senior Chris Horton. Horton researched the play, the history of the era, the style of the Riviera at the time, and the coordinated with the directors interests on how best to construct the sets.
‘As a designer I had no idea how much construction I would personally have to do. As it turned out, the University Theatre technical Director and I spent much of Thanksgiving break constructing the show. Without his help and know-how, the show never would have been made. Despite the stress, which was also somewhat enjoyable, I had a great time with the show and will most likely be designing and constructing sets for the spring festival next semester. Who ever said theater is dead” Horton said.
The Boyfriend is an upbeat, endearing, and at times downright comical portrayal of young love, companionship, and innocence.
For tickets, call 228-7639.
Jess Buchsbaum
Communications Department
315.228.6637