3-10-2019 2:53pm

An Interview with the Director of Saline Area Players Upcoming Show: Scrambled

Saline Area Players are deep into rehearsals for their spring show, Scrambled, written by Pat Cook, to be performed March 21-23. For those who are tired of winter and need a chance to laugh, this is the show for you! It is a comedy that takes place in a small-town diner called Showtime Café, where all the dishes are named after movies. The show is directed by Mary Rumman who has been active with SAP for over 30 years. Here is what she says about the show…

What should audiences expect?

They should expect to laugh and be entertained. This show is pure fun. I was in SAP’s Murder for Dummies last year, and audiences really seemed to enjoy it – this show is written by the same author. The set will be gorgeous and filled with movie references. Purdy the owner of Showtime Café is aflutter when she learns a food critic and her old boyfriend are in town, and the locals and wait staff try to figure out if any of the strangers in town could be them. There are secret identities, love interests, town gossips, and silly small-town humor bits.

What do you enjoy about directing this show?

As a social worker by profession, I love working with cast members of multiple ages and watch them gel together as a team. This past Saturday morning we had a rehearsal which started with breakfast. Everyone was there and the room was filled with laughter both on and off stage. This is an ensemble show so there are no big stars and everybody in the show has funny little “bits.” Doing an ensemble show is fun, but also challenging because everybody has to rely on everybody else to get their lines in. The cast becomes a strong team. This cast is made up of actors who have been in SAP shows for years, new thespians, and new people to our group. It’s fun to watch the actors encourage each other. And, for me, having been onstage for years, I’ve been a stifled “back seat director” for years, so this is my chance to be at the helm. And, I love comedy and helping people find ways to be funny. I find that I’m brimming with ideas and hope many of them make it onstage!

How do you approach directing a show?

This is my second time directing – the last time was almost 10 years ago for Cheaper by the Dozen with SAP. I read the script multiple times before we started, each time looking at different aspects. We have a fantastic production team and began last fall to envisage the set. In the rehearsal process, we start with basics and then build on. We started out with blocking, figuring out where everybody is on stage, then we proceeded to look at the interactions of the characters, trying to figure out their motivations for various scenes, adding in little bits (looks, movements, reactions, relationships…) Now, the actors are trying to get lines memorized and we are slowly adding the various props. Next week, we add more with lights, set and costumes. I try to give constructive feedback to the actors on stage at each rehearsal and am excited when they take an idea and run with it!

Come see Scrambled, written by Pat Cook. at 7:30 PM March 21-23 at The 5th Corner, 211 Willis Rd. Full ticket information available at our website www.salineareaplayers.org.