The cast and crew of Reefer Madness get into gear for rehearsals
by Vanessa Szpurko
They’re naked!
A rehearsal for Curtain Call’s production of Reefer Madness isn’t your typical run through.
It’s a little more exciting.
The majority of the cast and crew is naked.
Nearly, anyway. Almost every person in the room is wearing nothing but their underwear. While you might think the situation would lead to a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment, there is a sense of complete familiarity in the room among the cast and crew.
Whether they’re running through a scene, confirming song harmonies, or going through notes and feedback, it is obvious that the cast and crew have become a close-knit group of people.
Executive producer Brian Cunha explains that having the “naked” rehearsals is an exercise to establish a good rapport between everyone. As well, the partial nudity helps the players get accustomed to the style of the show itself.
“The show is not like Carousel. It’s not some cute little nice musical,” said Cunha. “Reefer Madness gets really down and dirty and we wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable with each other, so we asked them to wear as little as possible, whatever they are comfortable with. We also have a lot of different social events that we do together to build that sense of community.”
Beyond occasionally being in your underwear, the rehearsal process has become something that the cast and crew look forward to.
“The rehearsal process has been kind of what I expected it to be, but more fun,” said Gillian Henry, who plays the role of Mary Lane. “I like the way that it’s set up, the way that we separate scene work and vocal and dance. It really helps me concentrate on each specific aspect. I haven’t been involved with Curtain Call before, but I already feel so comfortable with everyone.”
There’s no doubt that being involved in the production is time consuming. Rehearsals have been going on for about a month now: six hours on Sundays, and up to four nights during the week.
But those involved say it’s worth it.
“I’ve taken up a good chunk of my time to put towards something positive and awesome,” said Henry. “It does take up a lot of my time on a weekly basis, but it’s time that I look forward to.”
“Everyone is very committed,” said Ryan Reeve, who plays the role of Ralph Wiley. “Everything that we are doing now is student run, it’s not professors doing it, it’s all us, because we have a passion for the arts and we want to perform.”
In the rehearsal room, the cast go through the number they are working on and everyone is obviously enjoying themselves. They have been learning this number all day and will run through it countless times before the official performances. However, there’s no denying the glee on the faces of those performing and those watching others perform.
“We definitely looked for people who seemed like team players, who were giving it their all and trying their hardest,” said director Adam Pellerine. “I think Curtain Call is really good for bringing everybody together. It gives people chances. If they’re in bio-med or whatever, they have a chance to do this.”
“Curtain Call is a club on campus foremost,” says Cunha. “Our first objective is not to put on a good show, contrary to popular belief. It’s to make sure that the members have a good experience. So, they have a good experience and then it’s like, let’s make the show really great. If we have both of those at the end of the year, then our job is done.”