Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Girl falls in love with boy. By an ironic twist of fate and miscommunication, both boy and girl perceive their fathers as being against them, when in fact, their wily patriarchs have been in favor of the pair getting together from the beginning. Conspiring fathers hire a roving bandit to abduct girl and allow himself to be defeated by boy. The result, they believe, with pun intended, will be fantastic.
A fantastic performance of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's musical, The Fantasticks, is what the student-run Washington College acting troupe, the Riverside Players, hope to put on.
The musical will mark a historic event in W.C. drama. In the words of director, junior Jillian "Keeza" Matundan, "What makes it really different is that it's making history on campus-it's the Riverside Players' first ever student-produced and directed musical. Honestly, I never dreamed that it would be as successful as it is right now-we're close to selling out the shows. It's an incredible feeling and a bit overwhelming."
Senior producer Lindsay Kreig seconds that thought: "This is the first student-directed musical in quite some time. I hope this production can be used as a springboard to bigger and better achievements in the arts at W.C."
Recent years at Washington College have seen few or no musicals produced at all, the most recent being The Boys From Syracuse, a department show. Lack of time, the greater number of senior thesis productions at W.C., and the higher monetary cost of musical productions in general all contribute to this.
Kreig commented on this, saying, "I firmly believe that theater, especially musical theater, is one of the most complex forms of art in modern culture. Musicals combine painting and sculpture, music and movement, literature and language in order to create a unified composition of human beauty that touches each viewer in a different way. Integrating all of these diverse aspects of performance is complicated, but when all is said and done, completely worthwhile and fulfilling."
Junior Paul Landauer, who stars in The Fantasticks, believes more musicals should be done at W.C. "I have done several musicals in the past, including Boys from Syracuse. I personally prefer musicals; I think they are generally more fun, and you really get to build a rapport with your fellow cast members," said Landauer.
He went on to say, "I like singing, even though I am not the greatest singer. Usually the songs will give you a feeling of how they are played to the audience, so I find them easier in some ways to communicate to the audience with."
Landauer finished by saying, "I really enjoy my character. I play the father of Luisa. He is really a comic relief character, and that suits me wonderfully. [Keeza] has also given me the freedom to explore and put a little of myself into the role, which is another fun part."
The Fantasticks will also feature world-class pianist, Dick Durham. An Eastern Shore native, Durham has achieved fame in the jazz piano field and has recently released a CD entitled Remembrance. Said Durham, "Lindsay called and asked that I be in the production. I did the show in New York three years ago. However, I'm not a theater pianist, but I have worked on shows here at Washington College before."
Said Matundan, "Dick Durham is absolutely incredible and great to work with. Until we had gotten him, it was questionable as to whether or not we'd have a show."
Showtimes will be at 8:00 p.m., January 27, 28, and 29 in Norman James Theatre at William Smith Hall. Tickets will be $2 for students and senior citizens, $5 for non-students.
Kreig, who said the show "touches on the universal theme of love and the need to be loved," requested that reservations be made by calling extension 8731 or by e-mailing 2cent@washcoll.edu.
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