GRT kicks off new season with melodrama News Staff Tue, 02/13/2024 - 12:52 pm
- (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Actors in the production of ‘A Golden Fleecing or the Undermining of Sarah Sweetflower’s Sarsaparilla Saloon and Bridal Shoppe’ rehearse at The Perry theater Saturday, Feb. 10. The show opens this week, starting Friday, Feb. 16.
- (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Bryan Ray (left) and Lucas Sanders act out a scene during a rehearsal at The Perry theater Saturday, Feb. 10 for the Graham Regional Theatre melodrama. The show will kick off the new season for the organization this week.
Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
Throwing popcorn, booing the bad guy and cheering for the hero has become an annual event for audiences at Graham Regional Theatre’s melodrama. This week, the nonprofit theater group opens its season with its melodrama at The Perry theater in Graham.
Four performances of “A Golden Fleecing or the Undermining of Sarah Sweetflower’s Sarsaparilla Saloon and Bridal Shoppe,” will be put on by GRT starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Two performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 and the final show will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18.
The play follows the formula of a typical melodrama with a damsel in distress, a hero, a villain, important side characters but also a twist on which character falls into what role. Auditions were held early January where seven actors were cast into the roles for the production.
Actors in the play are April Toney as Sarah Sweetflower, Bryan Ray as Sly Scavenger, Sonya Ramos as Miss Twinkle Toes, Lucas Sanders as Tumbleweed, RoseMary Spindle as Crazy Clara, Joseph Cyr as Stanley Stoutheart and Julie Bell as Big Bad Granny.
Show Director Kay Berru said the theater implemented the melodrama to it season years prior as a way to bring different audiences to the theater.
“The melodrama is funny, interactive and it’s more laid back theater than a lot of the stuff we do. So we decided that would be a light, fun comedy that the whole family could enjoy,” she said. “We’ve done farces, but they’re more adult and sometimes we have to say (it’s) not recommended for children under 17, or 14, or whatever. This one is family friendly, fun and interactive and a different experience for the theater.”
Berru has been a part of GRT since its beginning in 2002 with its first production of “The Music Man.” She has been involved in one way or another with every production since that time, and said the local theater provides a good, affordable way for those in the community to have a theater experience.
“I love it because I love being in theater and creating and it’s my happy place. I’ve made new friends, I have a new family,” she said. “...Being a theater person teaches you so much. You depend on the other people around you. It’s not a one man show. You increase your memorization, you learn how to get along with people, because you’re not going to like everybody that’s in every single show. ...Maybe we don’t have the same ideas about life, but we can stand on the stage together and act together and get along and maybe find out a little bit about each other.”
Berru said another important thing about theater in Graham is to provide lessons through another lens for audiences.
“Art reflects life. The show we are fixing to do, there are no life lessons in it, none at all. It’s just for fun. But a lot of the shows that we do have good lessons or good ways to show you that this is what should happen, or this should not have happened, or this is how you should treat people,” she said. “It can help open people’s eyes to new experiences.”
For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit grahamregionaltheatre.com . Information regarding the season can also be found on the organization’s Facebook page.
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