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Alcott Cast: Jenny Dreessen as Marmee

IMG E1732JennySometimes it’s cold. I miss a warm dressing room. Sometimes isJenny Dreessen as the Witch in Into the Woods 2011 sweltering in layers of heavy costumes. I miss an air-conditioned building. Sometimes it’s wet. I miss a roof. But all of that is worth it for the unique joys and fun challenges of producing shows outdoors at KFT. When nature obliges right on cue with a gentle breeze, birdsong, sunburst, or shower, it is truly magical. The challenges we face together as cast and crew create unity and connection. We all need that now. I have been blessed to experience an entire performance in a soaking drizzle-the audience right there with us-sticking it out through thick or thin, ever appreciative of our valiant efforts, and we of them. But most days are perfect: a little sun, a little cloud cover, a lovely summer breeze, abundant fresh air, and limitless creativity.

 
My first role at KFT was audience member, then usher, then Elsa in Sound Of Music. Since then I have played The Witch in Into The Woods, Golde in Fiddler, committee member, The White Witch in Narnia, cabin cook, Queenie in Honk!, Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, committee chair, kitchen manager, Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man, assistant director, and Donna in Mamma Mia!.
 
DSC02497 Queenie in HonkPlaying Marmee in Little Women is a real joy, especially with so many actual family members and very talented cast members to play alongside. I love being part of an ensemble cast. Everyone encourages and challenges each other to bring the best of what we have to every rehearsal and performance. The music in Little Women is fantastic, and Marmee gets to sing two beautiful and poignant songs. I can’t wait to share them with you.Dynamos152
 
 
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337 Hits

Alcott Cast: Ila Faubion Dreessen as Jo

Ila Faubion Dreessen as Jo in Little WomenI love Kitsap Forest Theater because it truly feels like home. I remember vividly the first time I walked down the trail to the theaterIla as Ariel at Disney World when I was 15, and I knew then my heart had been captured forever. The cedar and the rhododendrons, the ferns and the huckleberrys, and the moss and fir growing alongside the trail to the theater makes the experience like nothing else. I've always been a nature-vibing outdoorsy person, so a place where I can combine my love of theater with my love of our PNW ecosystem is incredible. I've performed now on many stages across the country, sometimes for crowds of thousands, but none have captivated me as much as Kitsap Forest Theater. Now that I live on the Kitsap Peninsula, I plan on performing on my favorite dirt stage with my family as many times as I am able, and hope to pass on the love of this theater to future generations.
 
My first show at KFT was Anne of Green Gables, when I was a sophomore inPrincess Leia at Disney World high school. I'd heard about the theater from a friend, and was lucky enough to land a role the first time I auditioned! I kept performing at KFT through high school, in Robin Hood: The Legend Continues and in Beauty and the Beast, and then was in Sound of Music and Into the Woods while I was in college at the University of Washington. I was planning on returning to the theater last spring in Beauty and the Beast once again, and while I'm sad that show has once again been postponed, I'm so happy that the incredible production team, KFT committee, and the cast members were able to pull off such a fun production of Little Women, despite the wild year everyone has had. 
 
Ila and Anthony in Beauty and the Beast 2008Jo March is an incredible character, and I am so honored to be able to tell her story. I remember reading Little Women when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I, as so many young tomboyish outdoorsy girls do, saw myself in her immediately. Jo is a great example of how the dreams of our childhoods can keep burning through a whole lifetime, even if they change shape as we grow older. She has a fire in her, and has inspired girls to fight for their dreams for over 150 years. The songs she sings in this show are beautiful, difficult, and poignant, and I love performing them each time I get the opportunity. It's wonderful working with this team and with both casts, as we learn from each other and flesh out these characters. 
 
Ila as Little Red in Into the Woods, 2011After battling cancer two years ago, I am so grateful to be cancer-free and healthy enough to be performing Jo in a way that I hope honors her character: full of exuberance and an abundant passion for life. 
 
Ila
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  539 Hits
539 Hits

Meet Molly Hall: Mamma Mia! Dancing Queen

 

Molly Hall HeadshotWhen Molly Hall was seven, she remembers listening to "Dancing Queen" and thinking,4th Grade Molly “I can’t wait until I’m 17! Then I’ll really be the dancing queen!” She grew up listening to ABBA, often performing lip-sync concerts in the living room with her younger sister, Wendy, to songs like "Honey, Honey" and "Nina, Pretty Ballerina". Little did she know that she’d grow up to become an actor and choreographer, and that someday ABBA’s iconic songs would be made into a musical. So it’s not an exaggeration to say that she’s been waiting her whole life to be a part of this show.

Molly and her family (husband, Jason Gingold, and kids Sadie and Charlie) have been involved with Kitsap Forest Theater for six seasons. She played Lowbutt in HONK! (opposite fellow Dynamo, Jenny Dreessen), several roles in Annie, and Eulalie Shinn in The Music Man. As a choreographer she created the dances for Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, and Tuck Everlasting. Molly has also acted and choreographed with many theatres around the Seattle area.

“I was hired to choreograph Mamma Mia! over a year ago, which was already a dream come true,” says Hall. “But I hesitated about auditioning. I thought it might be too complicated to choreograph and act in it. But then around January I realized… What am I, crazy? This is Mamma Mia!!! OF COURSE I’M GOING TO AUDITION!” Her dream was almost thwarted when she got terribly ill in the days before the callbacks. But thanks to the help of some trusted Queenie and Lowbutt 2014colleagues, she was able to show up to run dance callbacks and read/sing for several roles. Enchanted April Rose and Lotty flowersShe was thrilled to be cast in the role of Tanya, Donna’s longtime friend and back-up singer. “I used to dance to "Does Your Mother Know" as a kid, and I’d do this little step we called Kick/Open/Side-to-side. I played it on our turntable over and over again and tried to set a record for how long I could do that little step. So of course I HAD to put that into the dance. It’s such a joyful, flirty, high energy song, I love performing it.”

Being a part of this production team has also been a joy for Molly. “I love working with Paul and Ben. Paul and I have worked together on many shows and he directed me in two of my favorite roles of all time: Lotty in Enchanted April (alongside fellow Dynamo Beaven Walters), and M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias. We also had the chance to work together on Tuck Everlasting last summer, which was like being inside a myth or a storybook, a really special experience for the whole company. And Ben is just a firecracker and a musical genius. We really see eye to eye about the intersection of voice, dance, music, acting, and storytelling. When we give the cast notes sometimes the other person’s words just dovetail perfectly with what we’re trying to express. We’re a really good team.”

Shrek Witch Elf Fairy 2015Trying to choreograph and act in the show hasn’t been without its challenges. “I have many days when I think, this is basically impossible,” says Hall with a laugh. When she’s not on stage, she is dashing out front to watch dances and takes notes. Molly DancingIMG 1098Then she scrambles back stage to make it in time for her own scenes and songs. “I definitely couldn’t do it without the help of Kayla Rose, our incredible Assistant Choreographer. She steps out of dances all the time to watch and give notes. She is a calm, wonderful presence and she helps to keep the dances in good shape especially when I’m running around with a tambourine and a boa, singing "Dancing Queen".”  

Best of all, says Hall, is the chance to be a part of this show with her two real-life good friends, Jenny Dreessen and Beaven Walters. “For the three of us to be cast in these roles, after all these years of friendship and working together… it’s just a dream come true. We love each other so much, and we trust each other. We all have different strengths and we balance each other really well. Best of all, the depth of friendship and chemistry between Donna, Tanya, and Rosie is just palpable and very real. Then, on top of all that, we get to wear sparkles and dance and sing harmony! I just don’t think it gets any better than this.”

When asked what her favorite part of working on Mamma Mia! is, Molly is at a loss. “All of it. Every minute of working on it. Every night of rehearsal. I could name some sweet, one-of-a-kind moments: the first harmony section of "Chiquitita". The first chorus of "Dancing Queen". The first time we all nailed the "Super Trouper" moves. All the times Reed Viydo (Pepper) has cracked me up in our scenes. The dance break of "Does Your Mother Know". There have also been some dances that were unexpectedly thrilling to create – "Under Attack" being a particular highlight. But I just have to say all of it. And doing the show along with my husband and two kids. This is truly living the dream. I’m grateful every day.”  

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  1223 Hits
1223 Hits

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