By Jennifer Forester
Seussical, the upcoming musical production of Hood College Student Musical Theatre, referred to HCSMT,will debut on campus at the end of March.
Seussical, a musical based on the stories of Dr. Seuss, has universal themes that are relevant to Hood students. and, according to the director of the play and president of HCSMT, Travis Gilbert, Themes of bullying and differentiating between “us” and “them,” for example, are explored in the musical.
Gilbert, a junior history and pre-law student, chose Seussical as the spring production because he found himself interested in the literature of Dr. Seuss, seeing the author as “a dad figure” and was tired of seeing the “silly, ridiculous side of Seuss.” He said that he is “fortunate to go to a school that tolerates differences,” and called Seussical a “biographical sketch,” saying that Dr. Seuss “speaks for those” who cannot speak for themselves.
The play is an intricate combination of many of Seuss’s best known children’s books.
Seussical will differ from past productions because children of the Frederick community will be participating in the musical. HCSMT works with the kids by not only performing numbers, but by reading the Seuss books that the play is based on, and having discussions about them.
Gilbert said that by doing this, the group wanted to integrate literary development skills into the kids, serve as good role models, and expand its role within the community.
Additionally, Seussical will be the first production in which the lighting will be run by a professional theatrical lighting company, called Parlights, which is based in Frederick. There will also be new special effects such as confetti cannons and foggers.
Gilbert said that the art of Seuss is difficult to replicate, and that in many productions of Seussical, its essence is lost in translation.
He said that the artistic teams tried to make a modern example of Dr. Seuss’s art, saying that the costumes would personify the characters through color schemes, exaggerated features, colors and stripes. For this production, the team tried to move away from cartoonish features, and Gilbert stated that, “Seuss is about imagination.”
The imaginative aspects of Seuss will involve the audience, Gilbert said, explaining that “the entire theater is a stage.”
Freshman political science major Gabriel Cassuto, who plays the Cat in the Hat and is also a member of stage crew, wanted to emphasize that all the musical theatre productions are entirely student-run.
HCSMT is only a three-year-old organization, yet seems more “experienced, because it encompasses everyone’s expertise.”
He went on to say that everyone involved with Seussical “has a passion and mutual respect” for the production, and even though there is less time to rehearse for the musical, because of the teamwork and passion of the cast, they are “picked it up fast.”
Cassuto said he looked forward to “seeing Travis’ vision realized.” When asked what his favorite part about acting is, he replied, “The people make it fun; acting is a bonus.” He also emphasized how well the cast worked with each other, making the production enjoyable to work on.
Seussical will run from Thursday, March 27 to Saturday, March 29. There are shows at 7 p.m. each night, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday the 29.
Doors open 30 minutes before each show time, and both Gilbert and Cassuto encouraged audience members to “arrive early,” for Brodbeck auditorium only seats 325 people and seats are first come, first serve.
Tickets are free, but Gilbert said, “donations are greatly appreciated.”
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