It is a typical Thursday night in the Math & Psychology building, a handful of students sit at the desks along the window. Some night classes are in session, and there is music flooding from classroom 105. Inside this classroom is a small group of normal college students who are part of the Musical Theatre Club, and are having a routine rehearsal for their upcoming musical, “Ordinary Days.”
The musical, described as a “slice of life” show, centers around the everyday lives of four average people living in New York City. Freshman math and music performance double major Kyler Hewitt, who plays Warren, puts it simply, saying, “things happen … music ensues.” Though of course the title makes the play seem “ordinary,” the musical — and the experience that comes with partaking in it — is nothing short of extraordinary, according to cast and crew members.
While it is true that the show is “about how ordinary things can change us,” according to junior biology major and stage manager Matt Doucette, the cast points out that this aspect of the show — the normalcy of it all — is what truly makes it so incredible.
“The characters are so realistic, it’s so easy to imagine they’re real… it almost could be anyone,” explains senior media and communication studies major Tricia Goudreau, who plays Claire. This makes for an entertaining show filled with lifelike characters who many of the audience members should be able to relate to. Goudreau, for example, is heading into a “transitional period” in her life, just as Claire is. Hewitt similarly found that he relates to his character Warren’s struggle to understand the purpose of life.
Though the characters do help actors and audience members alike connect with the show, there are challenges embedded in having such realistic characters. For example, freshman psychology major Kayla Dunn, who portrays Deb, says that the realism makes it harder to accurately represent the characters. “It feels like I’m not doing [Deb] justice,” she claims.
Despite the fact that being in the musical does take plenty of time and effort, neither Doucette, Dunn, Goudreau or Hewitt classify it as “work.” Dunn claims that her semester would have been worse if she was not in the musical, saying that she “loves every minute” of being in the show; similarly, Hewitt classifies rehearsal as “the best part of [his] day.”
But the four did not join Musical Theatre Club just because of their love for performing. Though all of them have extensive theatre experience and love being a part of productions, they primarily enjoy doing so because of the people they meet and the bonds they make. In fact, Hewitt, Doucette and Goudreau each joined the club at the recommendation of close friends, and have not been disappointed.
“I genuinely have met some of my best friends through Musical Theatre Club,” says Doucette.
These sentiments, incidentally, reflect a core message of “Ordinary Days”: everyday people can undergo important, life-changing events at the hands of other normal people and typical experiences. You will have the chance to see “Ordinary Days” and make your own interpretation of the show’s messages on Dec. 8 and 9 at 8 p.m. in the Skylight Room in the Commons.
