Local actors learn new instruments for ‘School of Rock’
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POCATELLO — Young actors have adapted to learn new instruments in rehearsal for a production of “School of Rock” at the Palace Theatre.
“School of Rock” is about a wannabe rock star who lies his way into a substitute teaching position at a prep school. Once there, he finds out that his students have musical talent and enrolls with them as a band for the Battle of the Bands.
Many of the cast were required to play specific instruments for their roles, and had to practice at home and at rehearsal to be prepared to play on stage. The Palace Theatre’s production starts Thursday.
Jenna Davies, theater owner and artistic director, said she often hears comments from people asking where she found the cast, hearing, “Oh, where did you find these people? Did they come from out of town or did you hire them?”
“This is a community theater, and all of the talent that you see on stage is right here,” Davies said.
Sheri Dienftfrey-Swanson, the director, said that a number of the students knew the basics and played a different instrument from what their characters played.
Dienftfrey-Swanson said the actors “worked their bums off to get this and they’re so good. I’m just really proud of them.”
They didn’t just have to learn new instruments, but they also had to practice choreography and their characterization.
Dienftfrey-Swanson said all of the actors had to work on “their voice, bodies, gestures, physical organizations, vocalizations, learning all of the music, having to do an instrument and adding to all of that, having to do choreography.”
Randy Tolman, who plays Dewey Finn, has been somewhere around 20 performances in his life. He said that the young actors in this performance are so talented that rehearsing for the show has been humbling.
“I have been just floored at the musical talent of these kids in this show,” Tolman said. “They are so far ahead of anything that I was doing at their age. Their voices, their ability to pick up an instrument and learn it so quickly. … It’s been incredible.”
“They just came right into rehearsals knowing exactly what they were doing,” Tolman said, saying that them being able to do that showed him that they’re putting real effort to learn the instruments.
Davies said that Tolman has a difficult part because “he has to switch from screaming, dancing around up on tables, and then he has to throw an instrument on and hurry and play.”
Davies and Tolman both said that the audience will feel like they’re witnessing a rock concert.
“Be ready for a concert,” Tolman said. “I want people to come to the show and not feel like they’re watching theater. I want them to feel like they’re at a rock show.”
Dienftfrey-Swanson said that the actors worked hard on their characterization, and it will pay off when the audience sees the performance.
“I love watching in the show how the actors react to each other,” Dienftfrey-Swanson said. “And character-wise, you can look at anybody on the stage, and you can see a story unfolding.”
“The fact that it’s gonna feel like a concert when you come is gonna be fun and a little bit out of the ordinary,” Davies said. “If you like music, instruments, rock music, then you’re definitely gonna like the show as well.”
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