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Players Theatre Company discuss Bugsy Malone
with TP
5th May 2008
By Eleanor
Horsburgh
 Quietly
nestled away in the south-eastern suburb of Clayton lies Players
Theatre Company. For the last 26 years Players has been a company
dedicated to producing two high quality productions each year and
they pride themselves
on providing performance opportunities for people of all ages and
abilities but with a special commitment to those new to the stage.
I asked Players president Mario Mohorko to describe this company
philosophy:
Mario: Players has always been a company that's major credo is
opportunity. It has always been proud of the fact that it gives
somewhere for people to start. I personally had my first taste of
the theatre experience with Players and have never looked back. That
is why I find it important that there is an amateur company that is
not shy about providing a stepping stone for kids and adults alike
to see what a thrill it is to perform.
What we try to achieve is to give first time performers the best
possible view of how to do a full scale show. They see the
preparation involved and learn the tools they need should they wish
to pursue a career in the performing arts. We present one
children’s/beginner’s show and then a show dedicated to more
seasoned and adult performers
This month, Players proudly presents Bugsy Malone as their first
offerings for 2008. Now, the idea of a show with a cast of 50 kids
aged 8-18 may make many of us recoil in horror, but not directing
duo Michaela Smith and Dee Whittington. Both are ten year Players
veterans with vast experience working with children and they have
embraced the opportunity (and challenge) with open arms and the
results are impressive to say the least! I dropped in on a recent
rehearsal to see how things were going at Players’ headquarters.
When I arrived there were kids everywhere - I haven’t seen so many
children since my school days! Naturally they were all full of
energy and making quite a racket, I wondered how the production team
could last 15 minutes let alone four months of rehearsals! However
as soon Michaela stood up and announced that the rehearsal would
begin… the noise stopped! Those not on stage happily watched their
cast mates run their scenes… and I barely heard a peep out of them –
now that’s a feat that adults struggle to achieve!
Intrigued as to how this was accomplished, I recently caught up with
the insightful Michaela to have a chat about the show
First things first, how is the show coming along so far?
The show is going fine. I think the hardest thing working with
young performers is that some of them don't give 100% until they get
into the theatre and have a live audience.
It can be hard to tell how well things are going without that
measure of energy expended. Some of these kids are beginners and
are still grasping the fact that they have to be in the wings
waiting BEFORE their scene starts instead of running up just as
they're meant to be onstage! On the other hand, we have some
exceptional performers who have been fantastic and will be ones to
watch out for as they get older! Overall the show is going really
well and scenes are running together quite nicely.
Why choose a show like Bugsy Malone?
By doing shows like
Bugsy,
Players can give kids opportunities to be onstage in a real theatre
with a real company that doesn't just do 'kids' shows. We also do
shows that involve both adults and children together, giving them
the chance to work with adult actors and be treated with the respect
that every performer deserves. It also helps them to understand how
performing works outside of school and gives them the chance to
learn from some very experienced people. Not to mention its heaps
of fun!
What’s the secret to getting 50 kids into character for their
scenes?
Well, there are a few ways to answer that. At the start of our
rehearsal process we went through a few workshops to help the kids
get ready for the show which isn't your normal musical. We gave
them character sheets to fill out and we were very careful to stress
that they all needed to know who they were when they walked on that
stage. I told them that it didn't matter if they didn't have
dialogue,
I
wanted to see a full scene every time they were onstage -
friendships and dislikes - a full stage dynamic, none of this 'I've
just been told to stand here and don't know what I'm doing'. I
don't like watching scenes where people stand around without purpose
so Dee and I went
out of our way to give the kids ownership of their characters and
help them to feel fully involved in creating their scenes. We
worked on projection and delivery of lines and stage hierarchy - I
have a real thing about power play between characters - every
character fits into a power structure and the stage dynamic should
reflect that in each scene. I pointed out to the showgirls for
instance that Tallulah is top dog but what is their dynamic like if
she's not in the room? There will always be people who want her
power, people who want to be her and people who are happy in her
shadow and that is something I made sure to work on with the girls
and with the gangsters. No group is perfect and I wanted to see all
their little stories in each scene.
Why do you think it is important to encourage kids in theatre?
That's easy - when I was a kid I spent all my time performing with
my friends, every recess and lunch we would improvise plays or play
theatre games, it was my whole life! So when I left school and had
my first opportunity to perform in amateur theatre it was really
exciting and felt terribly grown up and professional - it may seem
silly but I am still amazed that we can give kids who are still in
school that same feeling I had when I was 20 and got cast in my
first show. Some of these kids are practically veterans and they're
only in high school! One of my cast members is only 12 but I met
her when she was 8 and cast in a show I was co-directing and onstage
in. She has more shows under her belt than half the adult actors I
know and she is a prime example of why we want to give kids
opportunities to do theatre outside of school - she's in Year 7 and
she's bored mindless by the stuff she's doing in drama - the reason
for that is because she's a far more capable actor than most kids
her age and the school system is not equipped to deal with someone
at that level in Year 7. The flipside to that is that we can also
give kids who have never had a chance to perform their moment in the
spotlight. Watching some of them discover the world of theatre is
what this is all about.
How do you cope with 50 crazy theatre kids?
Hehe, that's a curly one! The key word is
patience.
Patience and understanding. Also a healthy dose of discipline! The
balance we try to achieve is somewhere between those two. From the
very first rehearsal, the rules are laid out regarding the do's and
don'ts of theatre and stage work. That way everybody knows where
they stand and if rules are broken, nobody is surprised when they
get told off! Kids are used to discipline and boundaries so they
have no problem when rules are enforced - it's only when you tell
them off for something you haven't explained as a rule that they
will get narky - and rightly so! So we are very careful to explain
everything in great detail so they
know what's what. Really, you just need to keep in mind that
creative kids have a lot of energy, which is great when they're
onstage but it tends to get a little out of hand when they're
offstage! It's all about give and take.
 What’s
the best thing about working with/directing kids in theatre?
Two sides to that for me. The first side is watching some really
talented kids strut their stuff onstage and respond to direction
like a dream. Those moments are golden but that's the same as
working with adults really! The other side is taking a risk on
someone you're not sure about and finding that you've hit the
money! The best feeling I get is from watching some of these kids
who haven't been onstage before and you get to see the journey they
take as they discover theatre. Those are the ones who can be the
most rewarding. I love working with actors, any age and time, they
will always be a journey worth taking
Bugsy Malone opens at the Watson Theatre (Forest
Hill College) on Friday May 16th and runs until Saturday
May 24th.
See What’s On
for more details and come along and support these talented kids -
from what I have seen so far it is going to be
a hoot (the splurge guns are particularly impressive!!). Bugsy
Malone will be a show that firmly cements Players as a genuine
option when parents are looking for a place for their kids to start
on their exciting journey into a performing life.
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