Matt Cavenaugh, Broadway performer and Early Stages Advisory Council member, arranged for 20 Early Stages students to attend a performance of West Side Story
followed by a talk back in the Green Room with Matt Cavenaugh (Tony), Josefina
Scaglione (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), George Akram (Bernardo), Curtis
Holbrook (Action), and Tro Shaw (Anybodys).
Most of the students who attended the performance did not know the plot of West Side Story and for some it was their first experience at a Broadway
show but the depth of the students questions and insights clearly
showed how deeply connected they felt to the performance .
"The show brought up so many things about who
to love, how to live, and how to find a sense of identity in the world." Said
Katherine, Coalition High School.
"The way you
portray love is powerful," Gloria of
University Heights High School, said to actor Josefina, "Even
though Maria should have been in sorrow for her
brother, she was still being pulled by her love for Tony. Was this because she
was not using her head, she was just feeling?"
Josefina responded, "Exactly.
That is what it is for her. She is not thinking and sometimes the best
things come from just feeling and reacting."
Keith of University Heights High School questioned George (Bernardo), "How do you feel being the leader ? Like
everyone has to follow your kick-flip?"
"I love
it. He responded " It's
nice to have that feeling of everyone having your back, but it's also about me
taking on the responsibility. Since I
also feel that I am representing all Latinos in the show, it puts me in a
position to feel stronger in the role."
Another student asked Karen (Anita), "How did you compose yourself after the
attack scene? It must have been hard, but you came off strong in the end,
like a strong Latina."
"Yes," said Karen, "She
(Anita) has just lost the love of her life and the one person left that she
loves the most on earth has asked one thing of her. Her mission is to do
this one thing for Maria, but things go a little haywire. Every character
(in this show) is pushed to do something they didn't think they could."
As the conversation continued, the group addressed gang violence,
racial prejudices, and the differences and similarities in society from when
the original production debuted (1957) and today. As the night drew to a
close, Janita from University Heights High School asked the actors, "Have you learned lessons or things
from being in the show that
have helped you in your own lives?"
Matt (Tony) answered, "As an actor, I try not to think in absolute right or wrongs. In the theater, there is no right or wrong, but simply a better choice. I always try to make a positive choice on stage. That same principle can be applied to life."
Thank you Matt Cavenaugh for making this wonderful
event possible, and thank you to all the actors, students
& teachers for sharing your experiences and insights and for making the
night so memorable!
You can find more information about Matt Cavenaugh, who in
addition to West Side Story has starred in A Catered Affair, Grey
Gardens, and Urban Cowboy at The Internet Broadway Database. To
learn more about West Side Story, or to purchase tickets, visit the official
website.
After the show, the actors invited us backstage to talk about how we felt about the play. We talked about how we related to the characters in the show and how the actors learned something from the characters they played. They also gave us their opinions on some of the scenes and what they would do in those situations. It was a great experience for me and West Side Story is a show that I would see again.
-Nico