The light and sound crews yell cues back and forth, while up on stage the actors are in the middle of practicing the fight scenes. The theater buzzes with activity as students and faculty work together to bring the upcoming musical, Les Miserables, to life.
Robert Behrens, fight choreographer and theater professor, stands on stage in a bright blue shirt as he watches the actors perform their moves for a scene of hand-to-hand combat. He stops them frequently to answer questions and to correct or change an action made. He moves with enthusiasm as he drops to the floor, imitating the characters.
The boy is Gavroche, a strong supporter of the revolution who is killed by guardsmen during battle. The role was given to Behrens’ 7-year-old son, Kellan Behrens.
“I knew there were kids needed, and then as soon as I was invited to be fight director, I said, ‘Hey, do you need some kids?’” Robert said. “And I used my fight director card to get him an audition.”
Robert’s job is to enhance the story of Les Miserables by bringing the violence of the musical to life.
Most of the fighting is hand-to-hand, but Robert said that he also works with weapons and teaches actors how to use them to seem as realistic as possible.
“We just had a nearly 40-minute fight call, meaning we go through those major moments in the show where violence occurs,” Robert said. “We do it at half-speed to remind the actors what’s coming up and that’s done in every show. Any show with violence, you have to have a fight call.”
Kellan said that he is a little nervous about the show but that it has also been a lot of fun. But he said, “I think (the audience) will be sad because a lot of people die.”
Having only been in one school play before, this was Kellan’s first time in a large production. There were many new experiences for him. He learned how to sing with an orchestra and work with an orchestra conductor. Working with an adult cast has also been a new experience for Kellan.
“They’re fun to play with,” Kellan said. “Sometimes they tell me when to go on and help me with costume and microphone and makeup. And if I do something wrong and if I don’t know it, they tell me how to do it.”
Kellan’s character plays a large role in the musical but sadly dies.
“It’s very difficult to watch your son die on stage,” Robert said. “Seeing that is a little intense at times, and after a couple of rehearsals he was a little shaken up, but I think now he understands that he’s playing a character.”
“This has been a good learning experience for him as far as ‘I’m playing a character, now I can turn that off and just be Kellan,’” Robert said. “Because to (children), pretending is so real and (adults) lose that ability, but for right now there’s not a lot of differences between pretend and reality for him.”
The show opens Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall.
For a full list of show times, click here.
