Haylofters help shape DeWitt’s world premier play
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
“And they all lived happily ever …
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute! This is my chance! HIT IT!”
Those may be the final spoken words of this summer’s musical at the Haylofters, “The Princess Knight,” but those words also go a long way in describing the journey of this world premiere event.
The show officially opens tonight at the Malt House in Burlington at 7:30 p.m.
Just what is “The Princess Knight”? Well, think of it as a combination of fairy tales mixed with music and a snappy sense of humor – a story bursting at the seams:
A first-born Prince wanting to marry the Queen’s only daughter; A princess who wants nothing to do with marriage – at least not her betrothed; Three characters in search of the meaning of life after being ruthlessly thrown into service by an evil baron, and; A baron … in anger management therapy?
Of course, there is the princess’s handmaiden, Lily, who consistently breaks theater’s “fourth wall” by talking to the audience.
“It’s such a great power to have,” explained T.C. DeWitt, the show’s writer and director who hails from Burlington.
Actually, while DeWitt was speaking about being able to break the fourth wall, the statement could also apply to his own journey. DeWitt first considered writing the musical back in 2007, the idea coming to him as a “fairy tale about a princess who is a hero.”
But the story – and the musical – didn’t really gain traction until 2009, when DeWitt nearly lost his life after being shot in Los Angeles.
A case of what DeWitt calls “wrong time,” he was shot walking to his car late at night.
“I kind of had to relearn how to see,” said DeWitt, who also worked in visual arts at the time. “My only avenue left as an artist was to write.
“That’s when I decided to start working on the Princess Knight, and really try to make it happen.”
It took DeWitt the better part of two years to bring the show to life. When he pitched it to the Haylofters last summer, though, the community theater group committed instead to do “Jesus Christ Superstar” – a musical it had been trying to land for more than five years.
In the end, it was a blessing in disguise for both parties. The theater nearly pulled an all-time record – missing selling out every single show by only a few seats at one matinee – and DeWitt, well, he had time to sit down and look at things again.
“It gave me more time to refine,” DeWitt explained.
And from the looks of it, the timing seems to be coming together. A handful of first-time Haylofters performers are a part of the show, as well as a number of veterans.
Kimberly Lyn Casey, one of the two Mary Magdalene’s cast in JCS last summer, plays Scarlet, the princess who longs to fulfill her dreams and live a story of her own.
Across from her is John Kobernick, playing Chester – a second-born prince who, like Scarlett, dreams for more.
And then there’s Lily – Scarlet’s harassed and harried handmaiden who, more often than not, is embroiled in all of Scarlet’s choices simply because someone needs to be there to keep her out of trouble.
There’s also Baron Von Briar Thorn (played by Nathaniel Hedges-Goettl), an “evil” man with a maniacal laugh who delights in blasting body parts off of his anger management therapist, played by Libby Grahn.
Both are played by first-time Hayloft participants. Hedges-Goettl had committed to participating in the Bristol Renaissance Fair, but otherwise had an empty summer.
“I’m very bad at not having something to do,” he explained. He threw together an audition the second night of the two-night process – and ended up as the Baron, an evil, yet deep character that Hedges-Goettl loves both in terms of simplicity and the complexity.
“I don’t have to be this very deep, complicated person,” said Hedges-Goettl, who nonetheless offers an insight into the many different sides of the Baron.
“I can just be fun and energetic and funny,” he added. “And not worry about how I would hold my left pinky in this situation.”
Actually, Hedges-Goettl’s summation of the situation also accurately puts into words what the whole cast is going through. As Max Easley, who plays Prince Sandstone, put it, “I’m the first Prince Sandstone.
“It’s a world premiere and I’m honored to be doing the part,” he said.
Everyone is getting a chance to build the characters from the ground up. And in many cases, DeWitt said, the actors are taking the characters into uncharted waters.
Grahn plays the unnamed anger management therapist as a nerdish, booky type who is constantly consulting her notebook – at least, when she has the hands to do so.
DeWitt envisioned a Sigmund Freud type – played by a man.
“By creating this uptight, nerdy type of doctor … she is a great juxtaposition to Candace.”
“Candace” is Candace Lauren Ostler, a friend of DeWitt’s from California who came to Wisconsin specifically to take part in the show this summer. She plays Vesper, the Baron’s right-hand evil minion, with an off-the-wall craziness that defies definition.
“Candace was there from the very beginning,” DeWitt said. “She’s experienced the journey this has gone on … whether helping me record music, or hashing out scenes.”
Ostler added, “I have almost no limits to what I can do with (Vesper).”
That kind of limitless creativity has energized the cast and crew.
“A lot of the characters are becoming more than what I originally set out,” DeWitt admitted. “I had to rethink these characters.”
He seems to be enjoying the journey, though, along with a very willing cast.
“I’ve had experience before doing a brand-new show,” said Casey. “It’s always fun because it is so brand new.
“It was one thing to sit down for the first time and read the show,” she added. “It’s another to take the characters and bring them to life.”
The show hasn’t been without its challenges, with a number of actors and actresses facing illness and unbelievable situations (including one crew member being stuck in Florida for a week when his wallet disappeared).
But, when all is said and done, DeWitt said, “we’ve more than made up for it.”
Now, the only thing missing is the audience. DeWitt can’t wait to get his cast in front of a real one.
“If they’re already at this level without the audience … the audience is only going to energize them further,” DeWitt said. “I want this show to be shared with as many people as possible.”
Already, he has received some inquiries about letting another group do the show. But right now, the show is where he wants it – home at the Haylofters.
“I’m very, very thankful the Malthouse took a chance on this,” DeWitt said. “Every challenge that came up, I was willing to attack it.
“And now we’re … performing in front of a full house,” he added. “And that’s pretty damned cool.”
If you go…
“The Princess Knight” will run weekends from July 12 through July 29 at the Malt House Theater, 109 N. Main St., Burlington.
Cost is $12 per ticket. Tickets are available on the website (www.thehaylofters.com), or at the Grater Tater, at 140 W. Chestnut St., Burlington. Online purchases may be made by credit/debit card. Any remaining tickets will be available at the theater.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sundays.
-
-
-
-
-