It's no secret that the college is proud of its theatre department. Freshman are taken on tours to gape at the renovated theater in Cowan Hall, while guides murmur accolades the department has collected over its long life. This is the 100th year of full-length plays being performed. The department featured two musicals, a classic play, the annual dance concert and three contemporary pieces, reaching around 26,000 people. The last play to show in the 100th-year-run will be the musical production "Peter Pan." "This year's productions have been some of the best productions done in a long time. 'Virginia Wolf' was ranked in the top 10 at Otterbein; the set of 'Urinetown' was amazing, 'Caucasian Chalk Circle' was very political, but the set was absolutely amazing; the dancing in 'Dance Concert' was great as well," said Micah Harvey, an Otterbein sophomore theatre and design major, prop master and part of the "fly team" for "Peter Pan." Otterbein's technical director, Greg Bell, has indulged once again in his robotics expertise. He designed a state-of-the-art hook that is powered by CO-2, allowing Captain Hook to grab things with the hook by pulling a trigger with his thumb. Along with the innovative hook, Bell also designed an automated robotic alligator that walks across the stage and can open and close its mouth. "It is a complete art form that is way past collegiate theater," said Harvey of Bell's robotic creations. "He could go with the professional theater easily but I think he's happy teaching people here. I think he is all self-taught which is amazing, too." It is possible that the flying company used for "Peter Pan," "zfx Flying Effects," will use Bell's hook in future productions of "Peter Pan." If not, Bell may set up a Web site with everything he has created geared toward loaning them out to other agencies. The idea of sharing technical props and other production necessities for a show has already been a part of Otterbein's theatre program. Underneath the theatre in Cowan Hall, entire shows are stored and the college loans them out to other colleges and high schools for use. As the term "fly team" suggests, the characters in the show will be hoisted up and will zoom across the stage. Through the use of a "magical" pulley system (sorry to ruin the illusion) that the flying company came and installed in the theatre, students lift and move their peers. "It's like a ballet backstage," said Harvey. For some characters, deadweight is pulled by the fly crew with the use of harnesses. Track travel in all four directions right, left, up and down the stage. Other techniques used in the production include stumps that light up, a magic potion that disappears after Tinkerbell drinks it, fairy dust, makeshift weapons and brilliant costumes.
"I feel like ending the year with "Peter Pan is a great way to go out," said Harvey. "The most brilliant moment that takes every one's breath away is when Peter and the children leave the nursery and fly off to Neverland, it's absolutely breathtaking. That moment alone steals the show."
As this year's final show suggests, the technical aspects as well as the highly-trained actors and directors help the department keep its ever growing fan base. Students might be unaware that the people they see performing in the department productions were chosen from among approximately 350 prospective students. Only 32 theatre majors and 10 dance minors are chosen each year, according to Otterbein's Web site. "We work hard at recruiting some of the best students in the country," said John Stefano, theatre department chairperson and director of "Peter Pan." "We give them lots of personal and individual attention and are dedicated to helping them grow as much as they can as artists and are absolutely devoted to doing the best possible theater that we can." When considering who to take into the program, Stefano looks for actors who can act, musical theatre students who can sing and of course the rare and precious triple threat: the singing, acting, dancing performer. "We are careful about the number of students we admit. We only take as many as we can teach," said Stefano. Otterbein's reputation as a first-class school for performing arts comes in part from the many graduates currently employed as actors and dancers. Dee Hoty is a graduate of Otterbein and is a three-time Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for her starring roles in "Will Rogers Follies," "Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public" and "Footloose," according to Otterbein's Theatre Web site. Susan Diol has had parts in "One Life to Live," "Seinfeld," "Star Trek," "Quantum Leap" and "Growing Pains." More recent students who have gone on to the big stage are 2004 graduate Mary Bruno who plays on "The Guiding Light", Renata Wilson, class of 2003, played Nancy in "Oliver!" Tony Gonzales, class of 2003, played Tony in "Saturday Night Fever" and Lindsay Chambers, from 2002, has been with the Broadway company of "Hairspray" since shortly after her graduation, also according to the Web site. t&c;
