In its 63 years of doing Athens community theater, Ohio Valley Summer Theater has done
Annie
,
Oklahoma!
and
Hello, Dolly!
, but it has never done the story of Anna and the King of Siam — until now.
“We’ve never done it. People have been bugging us, asking why,” said Marlo Tinkham, managing director of OVST. “The community and the actors wanted to see it done.”
The nonprofit organization is putting on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The King and I
as its annual summer musical for three weekends in Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater in Kantner Hall.
The musical follows the story of Anna, who is summoned to Bangkok in 1862 to tutor the King’s many children and wives in a move to help modernize the country. With Anna’s Western knowledge and the King’s Eastern ideals, the two often conflict, but eventually grow to understand and respect each other in a different sort of love story.
“I tried to incorporate how important it was in the play to be respectful of two cultures coming together,” said Denise Gabriel, director of the show. “The play is very much about relationships and different forms of love.”
Gabriel, a former School of Dance, Film and Theater faculty member, spent time in Japan and actually took the lay ordination of Buddhist vows, a consecration in the Buddhist religion. She said she incorporates Eastern techniques into her directing, especially sensory awareness.
“Sensation versus concept, being in the moment … not adding extra. It’s very much an Eastern way of believing,” she said. “We often take a pause and come to quiet and let the story come out of ourselves.”
Both Gabriel and Tinkham said they are very excited for the production and know the community is going to enjoy revisiting the tale.
“We want to show the old classics are good,” Tinkham said. “There are some deep concepts to grab onto among the comedy and beautiful music. That’s what theater is for, an interpersonal experience that changes them. You can’t get that off the TV or from tweeting and texting.”
If You Go:
What: Ohio Valley Summer Theater presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The King and I
When: 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday matinee for the next three weeks (no production July 4).
Where: Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater, Kantner Hall
Admission: $15 per person; $12.50 for a family of 3+; $10 for groups of 20+
Contact Meryl at mg986611@ohiou.edu, or on Twitter @buzzlightmeryl
