Big Sandy Theater will be putting on their largest show yet, on December 2nd and 3rd. It’s a Madhouse is a “Super fun and crazy spin on a classic ‘who done it’ tale,” according to Dianna Keane, the co-director of the production.
It’s a Madhouse tells the story of the Pembrook family, who are fighting over their recently deceased father’s estate. They are taken by surprise when Father chooses to distribute the family inheritance in a “finders keepers, losers weepers” type treasure hunt between his heirs. That’s just the beginning of the madness, as a zany cast of characters joins the hunt.
The show itself stood out to the directors due to the large cast size, and the fact that the story is so different than their previous shows, which have been primarily fairy tale type stories. Diane explained how the show will be their largest production to date: “We have a fabulous cast this year. We have 56 cast members. 50 of them are under 14-years old.” Amanda Hoffman, who is co-directing the production with Dianna, explained that the show was around 20 cast members larger than in past years. “Every year, it seems like we get about 10 to 15 more cast members when we go through and cast roles.”
The growth in on-stage participation has gone hand-in-hand with the growth of participating actors. Amanda explained: “We have our steady cast members that come through, and you can definitely see the growth in them. It’s exciting to see younger kids come out and get excited about being in the play.” Dianna explained that participating in theater productions has a larger impact on the students who take on roles. “It is so fun to see how the kids progress year after year in their confidence and expression on stage. The ability to speak in front of people and have the confidence to be on stage can be such a great life skill that will serve them wherever they go in life. It also helps with feeling identification, social skill development, and empathy as they work to portray a roll and interact with others. One of my favorite things about the community play is that parents, grandparents and children have an activity they can do together.”
The show itself is more complex than past productions in ways that reflect its larger cast. Though there are no scene changes, few special audio requirements, and very little lighting work to be done; the large number of cast members has translated into many moving parts that go on and off stage. At one point, the entire cast will be onstage at the same time. “But the amount of people makes it more difficult I think, because you have 50+ cast members to manage and keeping everybody in place and then getting everybody lined up for where they’re supposed to be.”
Amanda explains that the decision to take on increasingly complex productions is aiming toward a larger goal: “We’re really gearing up for potentially doing a musical. I think we keep pushing our boundaries and getting out of our comfort zones just to see if we’re ready to get to that point. We’re kind of seeing who in our cast is going to stay. Musicals are a lot more difficult.”
Friday’s production (on December 2nd) will take place at 7 PM. Saturday’s showing will happen at 3 PM. This should land during the lull between activities in the Big Sandy Christmas Stroll. The charge at the door will be slightly higher this year, due to insurance cost increases. Rather than the standard $2, it will now be $5. Though Dianna pointed out that, “We don’t want cost to be prohibitive. We will still accept any amount for a donation at the door in lieu of the ticket price.”
Amanda expressed a gratitude to the community and those who made the show possible. “I would just really like to thank all of our parents and community members for the support over the last years of us doing this plays. Honestly, without them, it wouldn’t be happening.” Dianna added, “We are so grateful to the community for all the support. We have some amazing parent volunteers who have helped make this possible. The school is always so generous in letting us use the facilities for practices and the performances. And without our amazing community members who come to our performances, we would not be successful. So thank you for coming and enjoying Big Sandy’s live community theater!” She added, “We are so thankful to our adult actors who really make it possible to include all the children and be able to put on a cohesive play.”
The entire cast and crew have always appreciated the community support. Come out and enjoy this year’s production. Help us continue to grow our community theater program and show your support for the cast and crew.
