Urinetown cast met for first rehearsal

Devin Field
January 16, 2018

The basses and tenors practice with the direction of Dale Heidebrecht, assistant music professor, in the Bea Wood black box theater on Jan. 16. Photo by Justin Marquart

The theater department began rehearsals Jan. 16 for the musical “Urinetown.” Consisting of a cast of 26 people, the musical is set as a political satire about a town struggling with it’s water supply.

“The whole musical is a satire of every other musical so that makes it really fun and exciting,” Katie Cagle, theater tech and design senior, said. “The background of the play is about a town and they are struggling with their water supply, so the main character is trying to control the water supply by making everyone pay to use the bathroom. There is a whole revolt, the people thinking that they are supposed to be able to pee for free and screw the water supply: ‘We should do whatever we want because it’s a free county.'”

Cagle’s says her job as stage manager is to organize the musical from behind the scenes. As soon as the directors step off set, she’s the one to enforce the action.

“I make sure to keep everyone organized,” Cagel said. “I keep everyone on track and once the show actually comes up, I’m the one that’s responsible for putting actors where they need to be, calling sound and light cues.”

Christopher Cruz, theater junior, plays Mr. McQueen, the sidekick of the owner of Good Urine company.

“It’s fun because it’s comedy and the actors are overly done,” Cruz said. “I love that it’s a political satire. I like pushing peoples buttons and making them shook. It will just make people shook.”

Ellanor Collins, theater senior, reads the sheet music for the song “This is Urine Town” during rehearsal for the for the production of Urine Town, which their first performance will be Fri. Feb. 22 in the Fain Fine Arts Theater at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Rachel Johnson

Ellanor Collins, theater junior, plays Officer Lockstock originally a male role but changed to female when she was cast.

“When I was in high school I auditioned, but they wouldn’t cast me in the female roles and I didn’t understand why,” Collins said. “Then when I auditioned, I auditioned for the female lead and the director said ‘I’m pretty sure she’s a tenor. She’s got a male voice.’ And I was like, ‘What does that even mean.'”

Collins discussed how weird it feels to being the only woman and singing with the other male actors.

“It’s all really weird because I’m the only girl in there,” Collins said. “I hear the notes and I’m singing the notes right, but its a man’s voice versus my voice and I don’t sound like a man. The director told me not to worry about it but it’s terror and excitement.”

Collins explains her character as a goodhearted cop that likes to bend the rules for the purpose of justice and says research is the number one tool to getting into character.

“Research. Research. Research. I have watched every version on Youtube you can think of,” Collins said. “I look at so many pictures. I originally hated this musical, I was like, ‘I can’t believe were doing it.’ Then after all the research I did I was like, ‘Yes, I’m so excited.’ Research is the number one thing I do.”

Collins expresses her thoughts behind the views of the link between theater and political satire .

“Theater moves you and it moves people, it always has,” Collins said. “There are riots, revolutions done through theatre, culture and human society and it changes because of fine arts.”

PERFORMANCES

  • Feb. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
  • Feb. 25 at 2:30 p.m.
  • March 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m.

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