Cheshire Youth Theater Presents "Guys and Dolls"

July 28, 2010 by John Rook

R.J. Anderson began his time in Cheshire Youth Theater as a youngster in elementary school, playing small roles in exciting productions and watching intently as the older actors practiced their craft on stage.
Now, Anderson finds himself as one of the elder statesmen of the group, a veteran of the stage after numerous parts in productions with both the local theater and Cheshire High School, and he relishes the opportunity to help a new crop of thespians who will remain in town long after he has journeyed off to college.
“It is kind of cool to look at some of the younger kids and say 'hey, I was there at that level,'” commented Anderson. “It is also cool to know that these kids will one day be showing a new group what to do.”
Last weekend, Anderson and his fellow Cheshire Youth Theater castmates took to the stage for a production of the Broadway classic Guys and Dolls. For the last several weeks, the cast of more than 50 actors had been rehearsing to get the musical scores down pat and, for three nights, looked to thrill audiences with their performing prowess.
Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and is based on two short stories by author Damon Runyon. The story follows the escapades of New York City gamblers and a love story that develops between one of them, Sky Masterson, and a missions worker named Sarah Brown.
As the story progresses, Masterson and Brown fall deeply for one another but their opposing lifestyles threaten to keep them apart.
The score is filled with memorable songs, including “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Luck Be a Lady Tonight,” and “Sit Down, You're Rockin the Boat,” along with memorable characters that all take on the distinctive mannerisms made famous by Damon Runyon.
For Anderson, who played Masterson, the part has been extremely enjoyable to play. A confident and determined individual, Masterson was “interesting” to get to know, Anderson admitted.
“He is a big-time gambler and very self-assured,” said Anderson. “He knows what he wants and what he is doing, so it has been fun to play.”
This was the sixth youth theater production in which Anderson had partaken, also having acted at the high school in different musicals, including Anything Goes and Les Miserables. Each one has brought with it a unique challenge and very different tenor, but Anderson insists that he does not prefer one particular type of role to another.
“I enjoy every play I am a part of,” said Anderson, “because it is really about the people. When you feel it coming together, no matter what, it is great.”
Playing Anderson's love interest in the show was Lucette Moran, who portrayed Sarah Brown, whom she described as very different from herself.
“(Sarah) views the world in a different way than I do,” explained Moran. “She views it as if it is a straight path and she has closed herself off to any other path. That's why it is so ironic when she meets Sky.”
Moran, like Anderson, is a veteran of the youth theater and spoke of what a unique experience it always is to bring together people who may not know each other well to form a cast.
“I think, in a lot of ways, it is easier when a majority of people in the cast don't really know one another,” she explained. “I think it gives you a lot of room to grow.”
Juggling all of the different pieces to the puzzle remained the job of director Dana Sachs, who has worked with Cheshire Youth Theater for four years.
Sachs stated that he chose Guys and Dolls because it is his belief that, aside from West Side Story, it is the best Broadway musical score ever written.
“When you think about it, how many musicals today leave you whistling the songs when you leave? None of them,” commented Sachs.
It is also difficult to find numerous productions that can be performed in full that are suitable for younger actors, Sachs admitted, and while gambling remains a major part of the musical's plot, the message within remains wholesome and family-friendly.
“We always want to perform something that appeals to everyone,” said Sachs. “That can be difficult to do after a while.”
With a large cast, Sachs always tries to find a “special moment” for all actors, even if it is just a moment alone on stage. That way, even those participants who do not have a major role will know what it is like to have an attentive audience watching their every move.
“At one point, we have two of our younger kids walking across the stage. At that moment, all eyes are on them, watching what they are doing. It is important for them to have that experience,” he stated.
“It is also important to ensure that newer members of the theater group know whether the stage is the right place for them. “Some may not think so and they decide to get involved back stage,” explained Sachs.
Though the cast had been rehearsing for some time, Sachs admitted that it was only in the last week that the unique “personality” of the group would be revealed.
With so many different parts to the production, it was within the last week that the cast actually began rehearsing as one, on the stage at Cheshire High School.
“That's when you really learn what the cast is like,” said Sachs. “It's in that last week, when everyone is together, that you know what they will be like together.”