The Tony Award winning screwball musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone” is the story of a 1920s style stage musical set in the imagination of a lonely musical theater fan. Its pace is frenetic and makes its cast work very hard, but the Old Rochester Regional High School Drama Club will be meeting the challenge of performing the lively production at the ORR Auditorium April 10-13.
The director, Brayden Fanti, is a teacher at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School, director of that school’s Theater Company and a busy local professional actor with recent performances for the Little Theater of Fall River, the Wakefield Repertory Company and Newport Playhouse on his resume. He said he’s performed in “The Drowsy Chaperone” twice in his lifetime. “It’s one of my favorites because it’s just a great time. And I knew my high school students would have a great time with it.”
It’s the tone itself that makes it a fun theatrical experience, he said. “It’s super, super cartoony and over the tip the way most plays they do are not supposed to be. That’s what I love about it. It allows you to be as goofy as possible.”
Tessa Ripley, 16 (Class of ’27), plays the Woman in the Chair (in the original play the Man in the Chair), the theater fan who sits alone in her apartment, playing a vinyl recording of her favorite 1920s musical. That record, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” is a fictional production that magically comes to life in her living room, transporting her and the audience into an uplifting, dazzling, over-the-top Broadway spectacle.
Ripley has more than one reason for enjoying the experience. “I’ve been interested on the theater my whole life,” she said, “since I was little. I just love being here.” Last year, she said, she was in two ORR productions: “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Noises Off.”
She describes what’s both hard and enjoyable about being in this production. “It’s a lot to memorize, “she said. “It took a lot of time to memorize. And there are a lot of characters to organize around. But I still had a lot of fun. I’ve learned that a community helps you out. This club is a community. The environment is safe and fun. And we have a really great time.”
Fanti elaborated that, because of the nature of the storyline, the characters have to be over the top. This is one time where he had to tell his young thespians to dial it up, not down. The best part for him and them, he said, was that they, themselves, created their path to these characters and did that well.
The Director of Publicity, Erin Bednarczyk, a local artist, said what she had liked about being involved in this production is that the young talents around her are so organized and such team players. “They all get along so nicely,” she said.
Following on that theme, Fanti noted the production, with the efforts of 17 ORR freshmen and seniors, is a collaborative effort all by local volunteers. That includes direction, sound, lighting and sets as well.
Of special note is that ORR student Calder Eaton, who plays Robert Martin, is the son of Assistant Director Sarah Whinnem. Other principal roles include ORR student Amanda Tomasso (Class of ’26) as the Drowsy Chaperone and ORR student Sienna Roveda (Class of ’25) as Janet Van De Graaf. “The Drowsy Chaperone” is a Canadian musical with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Director: Brayden Fanti. Musical Director: Jenna Kendall. Assistant Director: Sarah Whinnem. Sound Director: John Farrell.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” will be performed Thursday through Saturday, April 10-12, at 7:00 pm and Sunday, April 13, at 2:00 pm at the ORR Auditorium, 135 Marion Road, Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. Seniors and students $12. General admission: $15.
By Michael J. DeCicco