Hadestown: Teen Edition

Writer & Interviewer: Hana Soltani

Hadestown: Teen Edition is a modern interpretation of the Greek Mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice. Through themes of hope, love, and fate, the show juxtaposes a post-impressionist upperworld with an industrialist underworld. In this interview, the musical director, Mrs. Plum, and three students, Ben, Avery, and Cole, describe their experiences, visions, and hopes for this show.

What drew you to musical theater in the first place? 

Ben:

I always liked watching musical theater. I was just told one day, in sixth grade, that I was gonna be in a production. After that, I just kind of decided that I was going to musical theater all throughout middle school and high school. 

Mrs. Plum:

I've loved musicals my whole life. I've been in a musical family, but I realized very quickly that I don't particularly love being on the stage. I like the design eye more. I like to sing, and I like to act, but I don't like doing it in front of people. That's what drew me to theater education. I love giving people a safe place to be vulnerable and try something outside of their comfort zone.

Avery:

I started with Prairie Fire children's productions, and I really enjoyed it. 

Why Hadestown, and what was the vision for it?

Mrs. Plum:

We try to give our students a well-rounded experience over their 4 years. So seniors here have gotten to experience Fiddler, which is considered a classic. Anything goes, which is considered a Golden Age genre, and then last year we did SpongeBob, which is a contemporary pop-rock musical. This year, we wanted to try something a little different, and the rights just came out to perform this show this year, so we decided to do something a little darker that has more depth. We wanted to help students challenge themselves. Hades Town definitely has an acting challenge, but is also completely sung through. There's no dialogue without music. We do have to consider what students we have. We have a lot of students who have very large ranges and gritty sounds. Because we had these grittier students to be able to pull off these grittier roles, we chose Hades Town.

Avery:

I'm one of the 6 fates. Specifically, I sing the high soprano parts with Clara. The fates are really fun characters, especially because they're described in the script as “vicious and delicious”, which we really take it to heart. It's a great Mantra. They are just inherently evil. They don't experience any sort of favoritism for anyone. They simply control the story since they control fate. You have to play someone who doesn't really care for anyone, which is really difficult. We just control people as they're our puppets. We are our own entities. 

How do you balance directing and helping students portray their character while giving them room to explore and personify in their own way?

Mrs. Plum:

That's a good question. I try to teach theater with the theater basics in mind. I'll give them some blocking material. I like to use the phrase like blocking should either be compelling or repelling. If the blocking isn't feeling natural to them, then we try to change it. We start with the basics, but then I let them develop their own character. I think that the beauty of theater is how people can bring characters to life in their own unique, creative ways.

Is there a moment in the show that feels especially powerful to you? 

Mrs. Plum:

All of them. There are a lot of really big moments in this show. There are a lot of different storylines intertwined into one. Everyone has big moments. There are huge effects that make a scene completely wild too. It's hard to pick just one moment when there are so many storylines happening at the same time.

Ben:

If I were an audience member, and I were to see this multiple times I would think about watching a different character and following their journey and motivations. Our ensemble is doing a fantastic job because each individual creates their own specific storyline. 

Ben:

When you come off stage, even if you personally think you didn’t do a good job, everyone encourages you. There is just that constant support. 

Avery:  

Like Ben said, I think what's really unique and important about our cast is how everybody will congratulate you when you walk off the stage. The support is always genuine. It's not taking away that room for improvement, but it's acknowledging. 

I think what's really important is that I've always felt within our cast that we always recognize how much work we've put in for each other. We have a really good recognition that every single person is important. Every single person cares about what they're doing. 

Mrs. Plum:

When you come in and you enjoy a show, you don't think about all the moving parts and the hours of time. We couldn't do it without the cast or the stage crew, but there are also people in the lightboard, people running the soundboard, and people who built the set, taught, designed the choreography, made all the costumes, taught the music to the orchestra, and designed the lights and sound. We have students who run all those things, but we have a team of adult designers who come in and do all of that when the kids aren't rehearsing, so that they can have a spare stage. I am just so grateful for the whole army that I have working with me that people don't always see. 

What do you hope the audience takes away from Hadestown?

Ben:

I want the audience to be invested in the show and enjoy it. I also want them to realize how hard putting together the show is.

Avery:

I think a really important message throughout the show is that there's still hope. The show isn't going to end well, but you gain hope throughout the show. Ultimately, the show is about hope and resilience, and about making your own path in a world where it may feel hopeless.