Tonight is the night! Over at D.C. Everest staff have been working hard to create a design and concept for Seussical that was new, original and unlike any other production they had seen. This is our second year working with Everest and this year they really wanted to focus on learning how to create a concept and diving deeper into character development. Seussical was the perfect show to really focus on these aspects, and the final product is a testament to the hard work of the staff and students alike. A little over three weeks ago I had the pleasure of working in person with D.C. Everest for their in-school residency and it was a fantastic experience. The students were extremely welcoming and excited to work, and the staff was beyond prepared given how much was on their plate. We spent the week really looking at how to go from passively singing/speaking to applying tactics and objectives to create momentum and action.
A lot of our time was spent working to create a movement vocabulary, for both the Jungle of Nool and Whoville, while also digging deeper into character motivations. During my time working with these students, it wasn’t their growth of skills that impressed me the most; it was their commitment to 
creating a community with each other that was safe and supportive. I think often times community building can be overlooked (I know I am definitely guilty of this as a director/teacher), but seeing the impact this had on the students not only from an emotional level but onstage as well was incredible. One of the goals of the director, Wendy Vesper, identified when discussing her decision to select Seussical was to promote positivity and healing in the wake of a tragedy that had happened in their community earlier this year. Seeing how this script helped create a space for students to do this even within the rehearsal room was remarkable, and a true testament to the fact that this was indeed the correct show for this school to be doing right now (not something I often say when talking about Seussical). Thank you to all of the students in Seuss for reminding me about the true power community has within theatre.
As I mentioned earlier, this is our second year with Everest, and as such we’ve had the opportunity to see first hand the fantastic transformation that have take place over just one year. This year, I was particularly impressed to see the staff’s commitment to making choices that fit the script/concept, rather than selecting the most fantastical-or easiest- option. This came out in all aspects of production, from design to staging and directing. In particular I applaud the bold choices that were made in regards to the set and costumes as they break the traditional “Seussical” style (or as Marcus and I lovingly refer to the design choice: “Dr. Seuss just vomited on the stage”). I’ve had the honor of working with the director, Wendy Vesper, for years before I started Theatre Ruminate and I have to specifically applaud her work in this production as it is simplistic in the best way possible; she allows the stage to be filled with over 84 students, yet not once as an audience member did I feel overwhelmed or like there was movement for movement sake… the students have the opportunity and breathing room necessary to actually act! So kudos to the all those on staff for a truly cohesive and realized production!
The amount of growth the students and staff achieved in such a short time was incredible, and it has just continued to grow. If you are in the Wausau area, please go support these talented students. Thank you all for bringing Theatre Ruminate into your process… break-a-leg!
All our love,
Lindsay, and the rest of the team at Theatre Ruminate