Reflections on Oklahoma! by Leading Lady Sylvie Baldwin

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!