One doesn’t ordinarily picture a Stephen King novel as a musical, but, in the case of “Carrie,” it works. The themes presented in “Carrie” range from the effects of bullying to the consequences of revenge. Although Carrie does terrible things, we sympathize with her. We see her as a victim in so many ways.
This is Keith Surplus’ debut as a solo director, although he has co-directed several other plays, including “Camelot” and “The Four Old Broads” series. With “Carrie,” they’re incorporating plenty of special effects, which Keith admits were challenging at times. However, with the help of a talented crew, they pulled it off.
Many of the cast are new to Stage West; so, for Keith, one of the rewarding aspects of directing this show was seeing the cast come together as a family. “People have supported one another. Everyone has been patient with one another and with me,” Keith remarks.
Ever since he saw an off-Broadway revival in 2012, he has wanted to direct Carrie. “It’s surreal that the show is finally happening, especially here at Stage West,” Keith adds.
Cast in the lead role of Carrie is Baylee Roberts. This is Baylee’s first time appearing at Stage West; however, she’s not a newcomer to the stage. She started out in dance when she was two years old. At eight, Baylee started voice lessons and has continued performing since, mostly in musicals.
For Baylee, one of the rewarding aspects of acting is “telling other people’s stories and getting to speak for people who aren’t as heard or whose stories people don’t care as much about anymore—telling their stories in a more entertaining or powerful way.”
Like Keith and some of the other actors, “Carrie” has been a dream come true for Baylee. “Getting to be this character and being in Keith’s production, I’m so honored. That’s the biggest reward,” Baylee concludes.
Diane Ramos plays Carrie’s mother, Martha. She’s been acting since high school, where she played in “Bye Bye Birdie.” From that point on, she was “obsessed [with theater],” as she puts it. Diane sings seven songs in “Carrie,” making this her biggest singing role in her career.
The part of Martha was challenging because it was her first time playing the antagonist. In the past, she had always played “the good girl.” To get into character, she listened to some of the songs that Martha sings.
Bre Hays portrays Chris, the “mean girl” who bullies Carrie. Chris, along with Martha, is one of the two driving forces that spur Carrie to do what she does and drive her to create chaos.
Bre started dancing “before I was literally out of diapers” and has been on stage most of her life. She recently played Sally Bowles in Stage West’s production of “Cabaret.”
For Bre, “The opportunity to connect with the actors on stage and the audience members and to yourself” is one of the most rewarding aspects of acting. “I find out a lot more about myself with every new character I play.”
Bre’s main challenge was playing someone who is so mean-spirited. Yet, she strived to find the humanity in her character. She created a back story in her mind for Chris, which helped Bre to understand the character better.
Angela Franklin portrays Sue, one of the girls who sticks up for Carrie. She’s been in many shows at Stage West but is especially excited about being in “Carrie” and playing this particular part. “Sue is such a complex character, and it’s a role I’ve always wanted to play.”
Angela states that she’s not a dancer, so dancing in the show was a challenge, and there’s a lot of dancing in “Carrie.” The multiple quick changes were also challenging.
Garrett Dahlman plays Tommy, one of the two important male roles, and the characters are polar opposites. Tommy is Sue’s boyfriend, who is sensitive and kind.
Garrett got his start in children’s theatre when he was in grade school. He went on to high school productions and then to community theatre. Because he enjoys dancing, performing in the musical “Newsies” was one of his favorite performances.
He finds acting rewarding because “it’s fun to step into a scene and interact with another character.” Garrett also enjoys singing and doing harmonies.
For Garrett, playing Tommy was a bit challenging because most of the parts he’s played have been comedic, whereas Tommy is serious and emotional.
Caleb Hadlock portrays Billy, the other major male character. Like his girlfriend, Chris, he’s a bully.
Caleb got started in theatre while in high school. During college, he took a hiatus and then got back into acting just two years ago. One of his favorite parts was playing the titular role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Like several of the other actors, this is his first role at Stage West.
For Caleb, the rewarding aspect about theatre is that “it has the power to tell a story, that you’re able to convey emotions to an audience.”
The most challenging aspect of playing Billy is that his personality and morals are so different from Caleb’s. “When I’m acting, I like to put myself in the character’s shoes, and with Billy, he’s not the best influence, but then you have to question why, so I have to figure out why he is so mean.”
Although the plot of “Carrie” is unrealistic in many aspects, it’s still a story relevant to our time, given that bullying is so much in the news. In order to make the play more relatable, Keith has changed the setting to the present, rather than keeping it in the 1970s when King wrote the novel. “I love any show that has powerful life messages and can get the audience to feel various emotions,” Keith states.
“Carrie” is exactly that. You may feel discomfort and even revulsion at some aspects of the play, but you can’t deny that the acting is excellent and the show will stay with you long after the curtain goes down.
There will be only three performances of “Carrie.” These are Friday and Saturday, May 2nd and 3rd at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 4th at 2:00 p.m. You can purchase tickets online at www.stagewestplayhouse.org or by calling the box office at 352-683-5113.
