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Nick Drivas

Kate Ingram

Acting IV

October 27, 2017

Performance Response 1: Of Thee I Sing

The musical, Of Thee I Sing, was performed as the musical for the Fall season at

TheatreUCF. It ran from October 12-22. The musical, set in 1930s New York and Washington

DC, satirizes the political climate of the era as well as politics and government as a whole. Filled

with bits and gags, this play drew in audiences and kept them coming in 1931 when it initially

ran. No where before had musical theatre touched the topic of politics so heavy handedly and

still made the audience laugh and return to their seat after intermission. Though each moment

seems to lead o the next joke or laugh, the core of the story lies within the love interests, John P.

Wintergreen and Mary Turner. They possess an undying that finds no obstacle insurmountable.

Their love is tested by all around them, but never once do they waver. The commitment they

have to each other and to love as a whole is what completes the story; its what allows for all the

satire and the bits. It gives it honesty and truth; giving a sense of relatability to the audience who

has never once stepped foot in congress or sat behind the desk of the oval office.

In terms of the acting, the performers in the piece had a great commitment to the

particular style of the piece. To describe the style of the show, itd probably be most easily be put

as: sticking the Marx Brothers in a Gilbert & Sullivan type musical. The actors, throughout the

entire process, worked to find connection with each other in such a stylistically dependent show.

It seemed that what allowed the actors to connect to each other more honestly and vulnerably

was the unspoken agreement amongst the cast to commit to the style and live in it truthfully as
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individuals. From there, seeing each scene partner or cast member on stage committed to style

made for a safe space and safe environment to live in and play in. Once the world became,

everyone then felt safe with each other and could connect to each other more honestly from

there. It seemed that this became most apparent once tech rehearsals ended and the show was put

into full run leading into and through performances.

In terms of playing the action, it seemed there was a good amount of principle performers

who found ease in this as well as others with the opportunity to grow in this area. Katie

Whittemore is a great example of an actor in the cast whos sense of commitment to each

moment as well as the style permitted her to be active in each scene. Even as a bystander, she

found her reason for involvement in the focal moment of the stage. She created her characters

stakes in every moment and always had her tactical gears turning; never approaching the

character joke to joke or laugh to laugh, the character was always living and berating even if she

wasnt speaking or the main focus of a particular moment. She was always thinking, which then

allowed her to have reason and clarity in purpose for every single action. That is why she was

able to play so many actions in such a fast pace show; and that is why not a single action of hers

ever pulled focus, but rather served her characters arch as well as serving and enhancing the

moment she was witnessing, reacting to, or was involved in.

In such a stylized piece, finding the truth and finding the honesty in such a heightened

reality is absolutely crucial. In Of Thee I Sing, John P. Wintergreen, candidate for president, is

the straight man who lives in a world where all his surroundings are far more over the top and

heightened. He is the source of reality for the audience and the surrounding cast. He needs to

possess the wholesome sense of honesty in order to give permission for the heightened play. Joey

Herr played John P. Wintergreen pretty well with a lovely voice and a strong commitment to
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doing good work on stage. He did a fine job overall in being the straight man for the ensemble

around him, but it seems there is a great opportunity for him to grow in finding more honesty and

truth. His character is reactionary, and the laughs that he earns are written usually in response to

the outrageousness around him. It seemed, at times, Joey Herr struggled with that almost wanting

to get in on the fun and be the reason for laughter by making some strange choices that didnt

seem to serve the moment or progress the scene. Anytime a choice like that was made on his end,

the honesty was sucked right out of his character and all that was seen left was a masturbatory

actor trying to also get a laugh. This is not to say that he did not do good work, it only is an

observation that allows him for a great opportunity to learn and grow into an even stronger

performer.

For the style of this show, the beat changes and moments are very specific and Mark

Brotherton, the director, really wanted to drill these beat changes and shifts so that the show

could really move with more precision as the pace of the show grew faster in the rehearsal

process. The scene that required the most rehearsal in clarity was Act 1 Scene 2, where the

committee is gathered in the hotel room with Wintergreen discussing plans to get him electing.

This scene shifts gears multiple times at a very fast pace, and Mark never stopped emphasizing

the importance of the scene, saying that the rest of the show was doomed if that scene did not go

well and have clear beat changes that it required.

Many actors on stage had the commitment that was asked of them with this piece. There

is a great physical and vocal commitment required in this style. Being exaggerating the 2017 eye

and ear while still staying grounded and honest requires a lot of work that some may just not be

willing to put in. Kyle Laing is a great example of an actor who had the commitment both

physically and vocally to the text and the story. He possesses a natural fluidity to his movement
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as a dancer, but finds a way to suit it to his character and live in it truthfully. Vocally also, he

found so much shape, color, and variety in each moment, it really made for a great performance.

He is another example of someone who was very committed to the moment; and by living in the

moment truthfully he was able to not pull focus but rather enhance whatever moment was the

focal point in that instant.

Jenny Totcky is the prime example of emotional commitment in Of Thee I Sing. She

always made herself available to her scene partners and possessed a very interesting sense of

strength and independence that seemed almost result of the level of vulnerability she allowed

herself to show on stage and to her scene partners, as the independent yet initially insecure Mary

Turner. The level of availability she gave to other actors really made her character loving and

caring and it certainly reflected to the audience. This emotional commitment made for a beautiful

performance by Jenny.

With a difficult task ahead of them, the cast of Of Thee I Sing seemed to embrace the

challenge of playing such a heightened reality while staying grounded and living moment to

moment. The element that carried the show throughout was the level commitment amongst the

cast, commendably amongst the ensemble as a unit as well a several principles in particular. The

commitment amongst the cast created the consistency needed for the audience to accept the

world being played before them and suspend their disbelief and live with the characters for the 2

hours that they were able to share. Of Thee I Sing was a fine production. It was a pleasure to be a

part of it, and it will be a show to remember for sure.