By Mackenzie Shields

On Feb. 5 and 6 the directing team hosted auditions and began preparations for SUNY Oswego’s production of “The Wedding Singer.”

According to Alan Martin, the show’s music director, auditions included three components: acting, music and dance.

In preparation, students were expected to prepare a short monologue which fit the mood of the show and a cut of a song. With this production, students were provided some flexibility in genre and selections could also include pop and rock music, Martin said. Also, students from across all majors and minors were allowed to audition for the production. 

“A lot of people might feel intimidated or might make the assumption … that, you know, they’re not going to get considered because there are others. that’s not the case,” Martin said. He added that he would love to see there “be such a high demand for audition times that we have to open more slots.”

After the first round, some students were called back for a second audition. Students are typically called back for a specific character Martin said. In this step of the process, the production team asked students to prepare a short comedy routine and provided excerpts from songs. Ronda Brown, a senior majoring in music, was one student who was called back for a role. 

“I was so anxious about it, but also excited,” Brown said about the comedy routine. “I’m not, like, on SNL or whatever, I can’t just do that,” but added that the panel laughed during her callback. 

Roles for the show are in the process of being filled, and once that happens, the rehearsal process will begin, Martin said. Rehearsals are five nights a week, and can last about three and a half to five hours, in addition to some weekend dance rehearsals.

“It’s a huge time commitment, up until the week before the show, in which case you might be there more days and you might be there for longer,” Martin said. 

He added that the team works to provide some flexibility to students who need it, and that not every student is called to every rehearsal. Due to the time commitment, it is pivotal for performers like Brown to plan out schedules far in advance.

In selecting the production, Martin said that having an ensemble was important to him, since it allows for more people and many freshmen have not been able to participate in a production due to COVID-19.

“We have an idea of what we want in mind, but the realistic approach will always take precedence,” Martin said of COVID-19 precautions. He also explained that past shows have had testing regiments so performers did not need to wear masks, but that having actors in masks was a possibility. 

With auditions finished, there is still more to prepare leading up to the show. Production meetings have already started, including plans for the set. “Everything starts kind of individually, and it just kind of comes together little by little,” Martin said. 

Brown compared theater to an iceberg. When going to a performance, “you see the top, but you don’t realize all the work that was put into it at the bottom,” she said. 

Another aspect to prepare is the band and musicians, which Martin is in the process of recruiting. He said that he has spent time with the score trying to determine if there are ways to simplify it. 

An issue Martin is running into is that one musician is expected to play “saxophone, clarinet, flute [and] oboe. We don’t have an individual who plays all four of those things,” Martin said. In a situation like this, he has to consider splitting up these parts for which process is still ongoing.

Martin says that the most stressful part of his job is working in a way that helps the production move forward rather than impeding it. “Getting everything to work together is a huge task,” he said. “It’s about balance; that sometimes keeps me up at night.”

The bonds formed during the show between the cast and team are strong. His favorite part is working with students, and “seeing them at their worst, and helping them get to their best.”

“The Wedding Singer” is directed by Jonel Langenfeld and will run from April 20-24.

William Rogers | The Oswegonian