The Seductive Appeal of Community Theater

— from Toby Cooper —

Ask any of the Mamma Mia! cast why they leave the relative security of workaday life for the incertitude, the very ephemerality of living theater, and you will uncover a dozen answers.

“It’s the people,” says Suzanne Gropper (Rosie), elaborating that months-long immersion in grueling rehearsals uniquely enriches friendships. Her bubbling goofiness (“I’m a born ham”) keeps those friendships fresh.

Larry Hampel (Bill) echoes Suzanne’s “people” theme. But for him, the magic happened when he chanced upon a rehearsal of Barefoot in the Park and Actor’s Theater Orcas Island (ATOI) handed him a walk-on part. “They were welcoming,” he recalls. “I knew nothing.” It changed his life.

For others, the phenomenon of Community Theater is fulfillment of destiny. “I grew up with make-believe games,” says OIHS senior Margot Van Gelder (Dancer and Chorus), adding, “We get laughs in unexpected places because, yeah, it’s ‘their plumber’ on stage.”

After two decades on stage and screen worldwide, the storyline of Mamma Mia! is familiar to many. Resourceful, independent hippie-generation Donna Sheridan forges a pretty enviable life on a Greek island, running a business and raising a love-child daughter fathered by – well – one of three possible gents who have long since faded from view. Sweet-but-oh-so-vulnerable daughter Sophie does some sleuthing and decides to invite all three potential dads to her wedding, which is tomorrow. No worries. She will know him when she sees him . . . Right?

Complications result, stress levels rise and fall, and at some point basically everyone gets to ring up at least one modified relationship status by the end of the show.

British playwright Catherine Johnson penned Mamma Mia! with a clear stroke of genius: just draft a minimalist script and let the magic of ABBA’s hits do the rest. And those ABBA hits, at once raucous, at once poignant, always speaking directly to the collective human core of the audience, do not disappoint.

So, if your name is Doug Bechtel of ATOI, and Broadway history has handed you a ready winner, your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to pull it off in a community venue.

And this brings us back to that seductive appeal, that collection of plumbers/handymen/midwives/students/lawyers and one notorious retired opera-pro that roll through life with the ATOI family.

Enter, Melinda Milligan (Donna), the ex-career midwife who has brought forth no less than 1500 souls to Orcas Island. As Donna, this is her first musical lead after dozens of Grange productions. “I’m a folksinger who has a fondness for torch,” says Melinda with a twinkle.

Amazing things happen when Melinda sings. Her voice – combining Mary Travers’ sheer power with the pellucid tones of Eva Cassidy– wells up from the very soles of her feet and lands squarely in the hearts of her island fans.

Enter, Hailey Averna (Sophie), viewing her tripartite dad-dilemma with philosophical innocence, who sings like a nightingale and dances like one of its feathers floating in the wind. Hailey and co-star Sanjaya Malakar (Sky) lurch toward matrimony, as Sky, smitten for sure, still values his freedom.

Enter Tom Fiscus (Harry) who leaves no eyes dry after his wistful, reminiscing duet with Donna. (“I never knew he could sing,” confesses Doug, despite Tom’s numerous roles in Orcas productions.) Yet Harry harbors a secret ‘til the end.

Enjoy Frank Michels as the acerbic Sam, who rekindles affection and a touch of bitterness in Donna. Applaud the lusty Tanya crafted (suspiciously) convincingly by Aaimee Johnson. Enter so many unexpected surprises in this classically-local production where the lines that separate “your plumber” from true musical-stage professionals just ever-so-slightly begin to blur.

And when the last bows are done and the curtain falls, when the crew moves in with brooms and the teenage dancers rub their tired feet, then, wearily, the plumbers/midwives/bankers/barkeeps look to Monday back on the job, back to the boss lurking behind your chair, to the weight of the infamous tool belt through the long day.

But wait! Is that the feeble glow of hope – of promise – the rumor of that next show, possibly next Fall? Tryouts! Cue lines! Suddenly it’s all A-OK!

“I only hope,” Suzanne confides, “that there will still be roles for me as I age gracefully.”

Mamma Mia! opens March 14 at Orcas Center and runs weekends to March 30; tickets available at www.orcas-center.org.