Stage Door

“I live and breathe theater. That’s what I’m crazy about. I want to play everything I’m suited for. Old hags of eighty, and Topsy, and Lady Macbeth.” – Terry Randall

 

Stage Door, a play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman, takes place during the 1930s and highlights the struggle of young artists looking to make headlines with their work. The play is set during the Great Depression in the Footlights Club, a boarding house owned by former actress Mrs. Orcutt, and follows the stories of girls living in and out of the club while trying to secure a long term contract in their craft. The play primarily follows the story of Terry Randall, a headstrong, witty girl with dreams of becoming a lead actress on the Great White Way, which is a section of Broadway in New York City between 42nd and 53rd Streets. The play illustrates the ups and downs of trying to do what one loves for a career while also highlighting the importance of sticking to one’s morals and beliefs when chasing one’s dreams. By the end of the second act, audience members watch as Ms. Randall earns her dream role and so much more. While the show beautifully illustrates the struggle of pursuing one’s dream even in the face of adversity, Ferber and Kaufman also create a clear and powerful image of the tense relationship that exists to this day between theatre and film.

History:

Stage Door first opened on October 22nd of 1936 at the Music Box Theatre; it ran for 169 performances. The show was forced to close early due to the lead Margaret Sullivan’s pregnancy but was quickly picked up in 1937 by RKO, or Radio-Keith-Orpheum Pictures, a production company that wished to create a film adaptation starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Adolphe Menjou. The movie was said to be “radically altered in its plot”; Kaufman stated that the adaptation “should have been retitled Screen Door.” While theatre lovers struggled to fully accept this rendition of the show, Hollywood whole-heartedly embraced the new movie, which ultimately received four Academy Award nominations. To this day, there has not been a Broadway revival of the show, but thanks to this year’s Santa Catalina Theatre Department, the Monterey Peninsula was given the chance to put on their evening gowns, don their fur coats, and travel back to the 1930s.

Interview:

When entering the PAC on opening night, I felt I was suddenly taken back to the 1930s; as the night went on, I was thrilled to see the Oxford shoes, evening gloves, darling berets and tilt hats on the actress’ heads, which added to the little details that further brought the story to life. However, it was the cast’s adept skills in portraying their bold and defined characters that truly captured the attention of the audience. After the show closed, I had the opportunity to speak with Marissa Schimpf ‘22, who played the leading lady Terry Randall, about her experience as a part of the cast and what it was like to embody such a strong-willed, bold character.

When speaking with Marissa, I first asked what her favorite part was about being a part of the Stage Door cast. Quick to reply, Marissa explained that working with “such welcoming people and learning from so many different types of actors while also getting to bond with all of them as well” left an immense impact on her during rehearsals, and the constant support the whole cast showed one another truly elevated the entire experience. I then asked if she had a funny memory from performing in the show. Marissa laughed as she recalled when she and India Gonzales ‘20, who plays Randall’s love interest by the end of the show, had to block the scene in which their two characters fall in love. “It was really funny though because the whole cast was watching,” Marissa explained, before adding, “It was a really good bonding moment though!” Speaking of funny scenes, I then asked if she had a particular favorite scene from the show. She replied that her favorite scene was “probably the first… I got to be full of life and whenever I looked into the audience they seemed so engaged and interested in the energy of the scene,” which opens with multiple characters making their first appearance on the stage and introduces a truly bold and comedic cast of characters. Second to this scene, Marissa also expressed her love for watching a friend and fellow cast member Jenna Tarallo ‘23, who plays Bobby Melrose, take the stage. Jenna’s ability to humor the audience with her portrayal of different comedic characters never fails to make Marissa laugh from offstage, hidden behind the curtains but enjoying the show with the rest of the audience. While touching on the importance of bringing a character to life, I also asked Marissa if there were any challenges she needed to overcome when preparing for the show. Contemplating the question, Marissa spoke about overcoming self-doubt and a fear of living up to the high expectations that can be felt by any Santa Catalina student. Marissa spoke of having “that voice in your head… the one that seems to know all of your worries and fears… that was what was really stressful for me”. However, this strong sophomore refused to let any worries stop her from doing what she loves: as Marissa said, “[you] learn to work with those worries and doubts [because] self-criticism can make you better.” To conclude the interview, I asked the young actress if she had learned anything new from the play or specifically anything from her character. Confident in her answer, Marissa told me how Terry Randall’s character has taught her “how to stand up for what you believe in and what you are passionate about… she has so many opportunities to go into movies but she stays passionate to her values.” Elaborating, Marissa explained that she admired Terry’s ability “to stay very humble” throughout her journey to earn her big role. While Terry Randall’s dream was simply to find a character that she could bring to life on stage, it is her story and the story of all of the girls of the Footlights Club that shows audiences the importance of staying true to oneself and one’s values and maintaining one’s humility. Indeed, Randall shows viewers that sometimes success is not about how many headlines one can make, but instead about how many hearts one can touch and connect with on and off the stage.
Reference: Stage Door