FACT’s ‘Annie’ to appeal to all ages
More than 60 local people putting on musical
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FAIRMONT-- It's that time of year again when the Fairmont Area Community Theater (FACT) is gearing up to put on some live and local entertainment for the community. This year's musical production of "Annie" is bound to please both the youngest and oldest attendants and everyone in between.
At its essence, "Annie," set in the 1930s, is about an orphan who is taken in by a billionaire. However, Director Sara Gudahl said it's so much more than that.
"People think that this a kid show but it's really not a kid show. It's an adult show that has kids in it. The themes of a struggling, political climate where people are starving and the rich versus poor, the haves and have-nots and remaining hopeful during," Gudahl said.
On picking this year's show, Gudahl said, "We wanted something familiar for the community. We liked the idea of having a few more young people involved and this show, with the orphans, allows us to reach into the younger pool of kids."
This year's cast is a bit bigger than previous shows, with more than 60 people in it, including pit and crew.
They began practicing on June 9 and have been practicing four days a week since then.
"We try to keep a schedule where people can have a life in the summer and do theater," Gudahl explained.
There are a good number of returners this year, but also some new faces.
One new person this year is Troy Junkermeier, playing the role of Oliver "daddy" Warbucks, the billionaire who takes Annie in.
"I knew he could sing already... he has a fantastic singing voice and I've been on him for years to try out and when we picked this one, I said to him, 'this is a show that has a couple of different characters that you'd be suited for,'" Gudahl said.
There's also several instances of parent-child cast members as Gudahl explained that one of the rules is that if a child under 14 wants to be involved, their parent has to be somehow, too, as their presence is required.
"All the parents are connected in some way, shape or form. Some are actors and some are backstage helpers and others who volunteer for concessions or as ushers. This is heavily a family affair," Gudahl said.
This is true for Jenny Trushenski, who plays Miss Hannigan, and her daughter, Stella, who is cast as the titular role of Annie, and also for Elizabeth Lintelman, playing Lily St. Regis, and her daughters, Addie, a Rockette and Boylan sister, and Parker, an orphan.
Being a part of FACT is new for the Lintelmans this year.
For Elizabeth, she hasn't done any dancing or singing since high school.
"It's something I've always wanted to do. I've attended a lot of the community theater productions, I just haven't really prioritized it and as my girls are getting older and time is going faster, it's just an experience that I wanted to have with them," Elizabeth said.
Addie has done youth theater but never a FACT show and Parker, who has had health problems, hasn't had a chance to participate in the past.
"She absolutely loves it. All of the other actors have really welcomed her into the family and supported her," Elizabeth said.
Speaking to whether the trio will take part in future productions, Elizabeth said, "I hope so. This has been a really fun experience for the girls, not just creatively, but as a way to build memories. I hope that it's something they look back fondly on and want to repeat in the future."
She added how surprised she was to see the number of parent-child combos participating in FACT.
"I had no idea how many families make this a family tradition so that's been fun to see," she said.
While the cast members may be at the forefront, it takes a village to put the show on and there are many returners who work to do so year after year.
'"Our crew pretty much stays the same. We've rotated a little bit. Courtney (Steuber) moved up to sound booth this summer and Tamarae (Schmidt) moved to choreography for one summer. We have a little family of people who put it on and we work together so nicely," Gudahl said.
This is the third FACT production that has been shown at the Performing Arts Center at Fairmont High School instead of the usual venue of the Fairmont Opera House due to the latter's ongoing maintenance and fundraising needs.
Both stages feel familiar to Gudahl, as she also directs the Fairmont High School productions.
"It's the next best thing," she said of the PAC. "This facility is really nice and knowing it as well as I know it, makes it nice."
On finding all of the costumes, Gudahl said, "It's 1933. That's an interesting era to source. You find a lot of the flapper-style or you hit the 50s and get the big swing skirts. That middle, the 30s and 40s, is a real challenge."
While it was difficult to find some costumes, Gudahl said they were able to use some dance costumes for the scene with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and that Ellen Germain, one of the actors, designed and made all of the orphan costumes herself.
"We've had cast members really step up and it's been fun. The set is great and the work that the builders put in, it's beautiful," Gudahl said.
With final rehearsals taking place this week, the show will open with a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, followed by a 7 p.m. performance. It shows again at 2 p.m. on Sunday and then at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 28- Friday, July 31.
The standard price for tickets is $25 for adults and $10 for students but if tickets are purchased ahead of time online at fairmontoperahouse.org, they are $5 off.
"These actors are not paid so all of the work that they put in for it is just a volunteer effort from their heart so every person that comes to watch is honoring that commitment as well as supporting the Opera House. As great as this community is about supporting each other I just am really hoping that we have a good turnout," Gudahl said.