Our e-interviews continue with the cast from The 1940s Radio Hour, which wraps up this weekend at the Renaissance Theatre in Huntington.
Our question for this entry: What's it like to work on a period piece like this?
Linda Reynolds: This is some of the greatest music ever! That Old Black Magic, Kalamazoo, Blues in the Night, Ain’t She Sweet, and the others are great old standards that will live forever. I guarantee you will leave the theatre singing some of these songs. The dancing – jitterbug – is quite a workout. It really moves!!!!
Amy Knell: With a period piece I almost think it is easier to transform into a character because you are really taken to another time in history. You get to dive into research and think about situations from a completely different perspective. Being in this show and watching this show takes you back to a time that is so different but yet so similar in ways to where we are today in America.
Bil Neal: The show is placed in the 1940s, and "performed" for the "boys over there." The feeling of sending literally "boys" to fight in a war is brought home in a very understated and poignant way. It made me realize that over 60 years later we're still doing that. It's one of the reasons that ARTS decided that any of our U.S. service people (active or veteran) can see this show with our gratitude. My personal goal is to see the theatre packed with military each night. Naturally, there's also the aspect of character development in dealing with a different period. People seemed simpler then. Some of the humor could seem schmaltzy (is that even a word?), but we always laugh at the humanity. Sentiments are heart-felt, and relationships were more straightforward. These aren't glamorous folk - they almost all have day jobs of their own.
Stephen Vance: As an actor, period pieces are always fun. You have to learn about an era you may not be familiar with and often discover stuff you never knew. We've had a great asset in Charlie Woolcock who is in the show and a veteran. He has been able to tell us about so many of the things that happened and has convey what the attitude of the 1940s was. As a set builder/decorator, it has been a challenge. Finding period set pieces and props are always a bit of a hassle, but thanks to Helga and members of the community, we have been able to recreate an authentic set.
Joshua Jannotta: It's great fun. A show like this is very laid back, and easy on the brain, but nice on the eyes and ears!
David Vickers: Besides the music, it tells you how strong the American spirit really is during times of war. The volunteerism. The unselfishness. The respect for our soldiers. I can only imagine the spirit for World War II being somewhat equivalent to the spirit of America on September 12, 2001. Unified and determined. Having a father who was a veteran and a brother who is currently an active member of the Army for 16 years, it's been a humbling and sobering experience! I am really proud of ARTS doing this for our Veterans!
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