One of the most exciting things about making theatre is seeing the disparate elements of a production begin to cohere and work together. There is a clear but mysterious moment when a scene or a song or a dance number begins to breathe; it goes on its own, seemingly without the effort and struggle that it required in the laborious early stages.

"Seemingly" is the key word in that last sentence; everyone involved in Oklahoma! is working very hard to get the show and the property ready for Opening Day next Sunday. The small army of volunteers it takes to keep the Kitsap Forest Theater running is busy building sets, sewing costumes, printing programs, and recruiting ushers, parkers, cooks, and—most importantly—audience members! Give an electronic holler if you’d like to volunteer for any of those roles. You can volunteer to be in the audience by visiting our ticket information page to purchase tickets.

It’s wonderful to watch this show start to breathe—and sometimes, to watch it pant, like every time the actors get through Guy Caridi’s amazing choreography for “The Farmer and the Cowman”. It’s a showstopper, but the show doesn’t stop there; it’s got lots of laughs, fantastic fight choreography, and beautiful music—all delivered by one of the most generous and dedicated casts I’ve ever encountered. All this—and we’ve still got a week until opening!

Jenny Estill - Director

The effervescent Sylvie Baldwin, a high school senior at The Northwest School, has taken on the lead role of Laurey for our production of Oklahoma! We asked her to reflect on working at Kitsap Forest Theater, her take on her character and the play as a whole, and her experience working with the rest of the cast and crew. Here is her response:

Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into when I agreed to Oklahoma! When the Kitsap Forest Theater advertises that you will rehearse in the rain and mud, they mean it. What they don't explain is that you will be having such a fantastic and magical time that you will never want to work in an indoor theater again. Rehearsing and performing in an outdoor space has changed the way I view my work as an actor. Come to Kitsap and you will see that the space itself is alive and it supports the very essence of every production. This should be the value of every set for every actor, however it is hard to remember that when working in indoor, artificially constructed spaces.

Beyond the physical differences between Kitsap and other theaters, is the manner in which your cast becomes a family. Living together on the property during rehearsal and performance weekends, you build relationships impossible in traditional rehearsal settings. 

Oklahoma, from Laurey's perspective, is a story about self realization. A young spitfire, whose days of hard work on the prairie have made her independent and adventurous, she is grappling with surrendering herself to love. The vulnerability of exposing one's true feelings is difficult for anyone, but particularly Laurey, who, as a teenager, is still trying to sort out who she is and where she is headed in her life.

In this production of Oklahoma, unlike many other versions, Laurey understands that aside from some of his disquieting mannerisms and anger control problems, Jud (her family's farm hand) is the most logical choice of future spouse. He already knows how to run the family farm, he is open with his feelings of love towards her, and unlike Curly (the man who she truly loves and who is gone for long stretches of time on cattle drives), he is around all the time. In the end her feelings for Curly will prevail, but as an actor this presents a huge obstacle and exponentially increases the emotional energy required for the show. This said, it does make the role that much more fun.

I imagine that every morning Laurey would take a carefree jog through the corn fields, so to ground myself before each performance I like to go for a run. The combination of running and listening to some good old-timey fiddle music...I don't know what it is, but it transports me right to where Laurey is at the start of the show. 

The Oklahoma cast and crew is astounding. Everyone involved with the production is so talented. Honestly, they intimidate the living daylights out of me. In a good way though, they push me to take artistic risks, and surpass the expectations I have of myself. Jenny, our director, could single-handedly move mountains with her chutzpah, creativity, and compassion. Cooper, who is playing Curly, has the most amazing honest instincts on stage. It would take me hours of script analysis and preparation to produce what just seems to flow out of him. Megan, a.k.a. Ado Annie, has not only a dynamite voice, but also the most delightful sense of humor which lights up the stage. I could go on and on...and it's all true. I don't think I have ever worked with a more diverse and inspiring group of artists.

There are four performances left of Oklahoma!, June 11, 12, 18, 19 at 2pm, so don’t miss it! 

I’m writing from the steps of the Kitsap Forest Theater, watching our choreographer extraordinaire Guy Caridi sketch the beginnings of Oklahoma’s famous Dream Ballet. All of us (and my laptop) are grateful that, though gray, the skies over Seabeck are dry today. Just in case, however, we’ve got rain coats, plastic sheeting to save scripts from ruin and a watertight roof over our intrepid pianist, Debbie, who has fingerless gloves, a space heater and lots of hot drinks to ward off the cold.

Though we all grumble and burrow deeper into our Gore-Tex jackets when it starts to precipitate, we know that rain now means hillsides carpeted with rhododendron and dotted with trillium blossoms come May. It also fosters hardy actors and strong relationships among cast members; we have to become friends so we can share body heat! It’s a delight to watch this group of talented individuals start to work as a unit and support each other through the unique challenges of working in the Kitsap Forest Theater.

We’re also enjoying learning how to walk like cowboys, pronounce place names like “Catoosie” and “Quapaw” and embrace the exuberant energy of this classic American play. The play on which Oklahoma! is based, Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, is an elegy and a love song to the Indian Territory of the author’s childhood. His affection for the landscape, the speech and the song of the community in which he grew up infuses every word of his writing and informs Rodgers and Hammerstein’s big-souled musical adaptation. We’ll keep working to capture this spirit of optimism in every aspect of the production!

And to stay warm.

Yee-haw!

Jenny Estill

Director

(Here's an album of photos from the April 3 Rehearsal by fabulous cast member Lani Smith)