“Focus, orphans!”
Ian Dorsch’s stern but amused voice rang out Monday evening at the Bishop Center as “Oliver” choreographer Lindy Dansare-Mahon tried to herd a dozen young actors onstage to learn how to take their final bows together.
It was just one of the “delights and challenges” of putting this spring musical together, according to director Andrew Gaines.
Grays Harbor College will raise the curtain Friday night on Lionel Bart’s classic musical, with a young powerhouse named Brynnley Colburn playing the title role.
Twelve children ages 8 to 13 are playing the other orphans, and nine between ages 12 and 16 are playing the pickpockets. They have been rehearsing since October; the older players were cast in January.
This took some of the pressure off, Gaines said, as it gave him more time to work with the youngsters — something he’s not really used to doing.
“It has allowed me to flex my artistic muscles in different ways,” he said. “The way I direct an adult for a certain moment — I have to speak to a child a little differently. I have to access different parts of myself as a director.”
He noted that the crew cleared out a prop storage room backstage to create a lounge of sorts for the orphan players. Some of their parents will act as monitors to keep them corralled and reasonably quiet for the long stretch between their appearance in the famous opening scene (“Please, sir, I want some more!”) and the finale.
Sam Dorsch, who’s playing the Artful Dodger, is dealing with yet another childhood challenge. He’s got his role down pat, but he turned 14 this week — and his voice has just begun to change. So theater-goers should forgive him if he can’t quite hit the high notes he’s been practicing for months.
“It’s been … interesting,” chuckled his dad, voice director Ian Dorsch. “But what can you do?”
Overall, everything has come together quite well. Gaines is particularly proud of the set pieces for this production, built by Bishop Center technician Art Oestreich.
“Each one of these imposing structures moves and rotates. Each has four sides, and we reconfigure them between each scene,” said Gaines. “The intention was to choreograph them so that our set crew isn’t scrambling to hit a mark like ‘don’t look at me, don’t look at me!’ They are all part of the show.”
He’s also thrilled with the “stunningly gorgeous, Broadway-level” costumes, which were rented from a Chicago company. A newly acquired fog machine also will add depth.
“I feel like the Harbor is in store for a spectacular treat,” he said.
One final note: Gaines recommends against bringing children 8 and younger to this show. “It’s pure Charles Dickens,” he said. “There are scenes of domestic violence. There’s murder. It’s dark.”
Consider yourself forewarned.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays for the next two weekends: March 6-8 and 13-15.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors, $12 for students and $10 for children 10 and younger. Seats may be reserved in advance at www.ghc.edu/bishop/calendar/oliver.
Mr. Bumble (played by Jim Eddy) and the Widow Corney (Analei Holt) seek to punish Oliver (Brynnley Colburn, center) as the other orphans look on.
Photos by Kat Bryant | Grays Harbor News Group The orphans sing “Food, Glorious Food” as they await their dinner in the opening scene of “Oliver,” opening Friday at the Bishop Center.
