Britta Raye (left) as Emma and Jataria Heyward (right) as Alyssa for the Short North Stage’s production of “The Prom.” Credit: Courtesy of Firebird Media
Certain theatrical productions solely exist to tell a fun story. Others are made to teach the audience important lessons.
Short North Stage’s production of “The Prom” aims to do both.
The theater company will present “The Prom,” a musical that explores powerful themes like acceptance and love, on select dates from March 14 to April 7, according to the company’s website. The show follows a group of Broadway actors who travel to a small town in Indiana to support a gay teen in her fight to bring her girlfriend to her high school prom, the website states.
Dionysia Williams Velazco, the Short North Stage production’s co-director and co-choreographer, said the show reminds everyone from all walks of life that there’s always more to learn about the world.
“It’s a show that is really saying, ‘Love who you love,’ and that we shouldn’t discriminate against people who have different ideals of what that looks like,” Williams Velazco said. “And even though this show is several years old, it’s still an important message to give out to the world.”
Since the show opened on Broadway in October 2018, Williams Velazco said its broader impact on families has been immeasurable.
“A lot of times, families come to see the show, and maybe that kid finally feels like they can come out or maybe that parent finally understands a little bit more about how to talk to their kids about those sorts of situations,” Williams Velazco said.
Sydney Webb — an Ohio State third-year in marketing and theater, one of the show’s ensemble members and a main character’s understudy — said the show is intriguing because it shines a light on both sides of the political spectrum. Its ensemble is separated into two sides: the conservatives from Edgewater, Indiana, and the liberals from Broadway.
“I think it would have been very, very easy for the show to be well, ‘The people in the small town are close-minded, and they’re completely wrong — these Broadway open-minded people are perfect,’ but it doesn’t do that,” Webb said. “It also shows sort of the faults of the liberal side of things. It also shows them not fully grasping the situation and being close-minded themselves.”
Britta Raye (left) as Emma and Jataria Heyward (right) as Alyssa for the Short North Stage’s production of “The Prom.” Credit: Courtesy of Firebird Media
Heather Patterson King portrays Dee Dee Allen, a notorious Broadway diva who travels to Indiana to revitalize her seemingly declining career. Patterson King said it’s been a fun challenge to portray the complexities within her character, who has many preconceived notions about the Edgewater residents because of the privileged bubble in which she has isolated herself.
“She’s lived with all of the trappings of what it is to be a Broadway diva for a number of years and sort of lost touch with herself and lost touch with why she, I think, fell in love with the business in the first place,” Patterson King said.
Throughout the rehearsal process and beyond, Patterson King and Webb agree their experiences at Short North Stage have been quite rewarding.
“One of the things I think is really great is that there is a smaller staff here and everyone is really sort of hands on and very invested,” Patterson King said. “It’s great in that sense that it’s sort of one feeds the other and you get to see a lot of heart and involvement across the board.”
Webb said her particular role within the Short North Stage’s Performance and Technical Internship Program, in addition to her involvement as a performer, allows her to engage with the show’s many different production aspects.
Within the internship program specifically, Webb said seeing the varying theatrical backgrounds of other interns — namely the high schoolers — has enabled her to expand her skill set.
“A lot of them are teaching me a lot because a lot of them are dancers coming from different types of backgrounds,” Webb said. “Whereas I’m more of an actor/singer, and some of these people like doing competition dance, so I get to learn those skills from them.”
Williams Velazco said this melting pot of backgrounds has bled into the show’s music and choreography because the interns are required to participate in at least three productions in order to fulfill the program requirements, and many are accordingly involved in “The Prom.”
“You’re going to expect classic Broadway styles along with some fun, almost pop-esque music styles that are high energy,” Williams Velazco said. “This choreography does have a mixture to match those music styles.”
Webb said she encourages all people — regardless of their identity — to attend the show due to its universally important themes.
“I don’t know necessarily if the show is meant for those who are already a part of the LGBTQ community, but I think it’s very beneficial for them,” Webb said. “I think even more important might be the effects it has on people who aren’t a part of that community but want to sort of understand how to be an ally and how to support their friends and family that are in that community.”
Patterson King agreed.
“I hope that audiences, no matter what their background, can identify with someone or something in the show and come away reflecting on their own life and how they can look at something from multiple sides,” Patterson King said. “You could perhaps change, grow as a human being and within that growth, find joy and acceptance of other people,” Patterson King said.
More information about Short North Stage’s production of “The Prom,” including ticket pricing and exact showtimes, can be found on the company’s website.
