On Friday, March 8th and Saturday March, 9th, the Fieldston Theater Department put on an incredible performance of the 1950s classic, “Guys and Dolls.” “Guys and Dolls”” is a hilarious romantic musical set in the Manhattan crap game scene in 1955. It explores the relationship of two peculiar couples: Nathan Detroit, a witty crap game manager, and Miss Adelaide, a dancer at a nightclub who longs to marry him; and Sky Masterson, a high-stakes gambler, and Sarah Brown, a sheltered, conventional missionary.
In many ways, “Guys and Dolls” is outdated because of its use of traditional gender roles and stereotypes. So, the Fieldston Theater took a unique and intentional approach to putting on the show. Interested in understanding more how the musical was approached, I spoke with Shayna Sacks (Form IV), who played Benny, as well as a Dallas and Havana dancer. She explained, “Instead of just being complacent in the way the show is written, we purposefully over-performed the stereotypes to highlight and challenge them.” The casting of female-identifying actors in male-indentifying role was purposeful and another way to challenge the gender stereotypes in our society. Cast members Karina Taylor (Form IV) and Alex Bello (Form IV) further explained, at the “Guys and Dolls” assembly on Thursday that their approach not only challenges stereotypes, but also challenges the greater musical theater industry and the many “classics” that perpetuate the conventional image of gender identity and social hierarchies, while excluding certain groups.
I also spoke with Sylvie Poisson (V), who played Nathan Detroit, about her experience in the show. She shared that she learned a lot from working on the show over the past few months, including how to efficiently memorize lines, receive feedback and incorporate it into her acting and, in general, overcome the anxiety she used to feel about performing. Although theater is relatively new to Poisson, she felt very supported by her peers throughout the entire process. She explained that, within two weeks of working on the show, the cast felt like family, and that this “family” was strengthened even more during tech week, when they rehearsed every weekday until 9 pm and on weekends. Poisson’s most important takeaway was that she needs to believe in herself and her capabilities more.
Since I saw the show on Saturday night, it has become overwhelmingly clear that everyone who saw the show absolutely loved it. Greta Eikerman (Form V), who attended the Friday evening show, was deeply impressed by the talent of the cast. When asked her favorite part of the musical, she said, “It was the Havana dance number at the end where everyone was in white outfits. I just thought the dancing and choreography was really impressive.” While the show is a lot more dance-heavy than past musicals, especially last year’s “Legally Blonde,” I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a talented group of dancers in a Fieldston production before. Ellie Usdin (Form V) also noticed the same thing, saying that she was really impressed by the choreography and dancing. Usdin added that she was “struck by the animated and energetic acting” — and so was I. The actors were very expressive and they executed their characters to perfection.
Putting on “Guys and Dolls” is no easy feat. The musical involves elaborate and colorful costumes, many complex dance numbers, quick costume changes and a set resembling a nightclub. But the Fieldston Theater crew exceeded all expectations. After the show, a Form V parent remarked, “Excellent show. High energy. Great night.” And that just about sums it up. Congratulations to the entire “Guys and Dolls” cast and crew for putting on an incredible show!
