This April, the talented Ottoson and Gibbs thespians brought their audiences into the swirl of an illegal crap game, petty criminals and the “dolls” who love them, and mission workers out to save souls, during the two afternoon performances of Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. The drama program at OMS has been rebuilding after COVID, so OMS English teacher and Director Jenna Medeiros was looking for a musical with modest set requirements, one that was relatively easy to costume, and had an ensemble that could easily be broken into groups so that the students could focus on fewer dance numbers. Having done the play at OMS before was a plus, and as Ms. Medeiros notes, “The show is very funny and has some classic songs like Luck Be A Lady.” It proved to be a perfect choice!
Auditions were held in November and rehearsals ran from January into April. The cast and crew of 92 students included ten cast members from Gibbs. Including Gibbs students is very important to building the middle school drama program. Each one is assigned an eighth grade mentor. This helps integrate the sixth graders into the program and gives them two full years of drama before they take on a mentoring role as an eighth grade student..
One challenge with presenting Guys and Dolls to today’s audiences is the presence of antiquated notions of gender and relationship. This was something that Ms. Medeiros and her team discussed with the cast and the actors were given the freedom to break out of the typical norms if they chose. For example, crapshooters are typically presented as male, but at OMS many girls assumed that role.
Ms. Medeiros says that the students particularly enjoyed the dance numbers, especially Bushel and a Peck, Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat, and Luck Be a Lady. During the last few weeks of rehearsals these tunes had everyone up on their feet, whether on the stage or in front of it on the gym floor.
Watching the students come together as a cast is always very special for Ms. Medeiros. During the first few months of rehearsals the actors are siloed into groups, and they don’t see all of the parts. When the show is finally all put together the students get to see what everyone has been working on. This is when it all clicks and really feels like a show. Another great part of the experience for Ms. Medeiros is seeing how all the students support each other.
It is also wonderful to see how the OMS faculty and staff come together to support the drama productions. Music teacher Cori Smith served as Music Director and Producer and Special Education teacher Randi Flynn did choreography and took on an Assistant Director role. Music teacher Nate Smith managed the front of house. Seventh grade Teaching Assistant Brenda Mahoney helped with sets, costumes, and props, while seventh grade Specialized Support Paraprofessional Susan Taylor and two eighth grade students managed the stage. Irina Pansovoy, seventh grade Teaching Assistant, handled the media center, eighth grade Mathematics teacher Kim Serra ran the snack shop, and several other teachers helped sell snacks and tickets and distribute programs.
And there is more coming! The One Act Festival is back in June. Six directed short plays will be presented in the Wood Gym on June 17. Session 1 with three shows will take place from 10:00 to 11:30 am and Session 2, again with three shows, will take place from 1:00-2:30 pm (after Eighth Grade Recognition). There will be a catered cast lunch in between. Each session is $10. The families of cast members may purchase tickets at rehearsals and the public can do so at the door.