Anybody who has been part of a performance knows exactly what goes into putting on a show.
This process goes unseen by the general public and members of the audience. Going behind the scenes of SFCC’s production of “Merrymen” helps demonstrate why audiences should care about and support theatre and the performance arts.
“Merrymen” takes on a new approach the classic “Robin Hood” story. This time Robin Hood is played by a woman who wants to escape the “medieval ‘womanly’ routine,” said Sarah Plumb, the actress playing Robin Hood.
In this version, Maid Marian, the central protagonist, is pushed into a marriage to appease the evil town sheriff. She decides to take up the mantle of a “Robin Hood” type of bandit in order to distract the sheriff from his engagement to Marian.
Plumb hopes that kids see that “not all girls have to be the stay-at-home cook … you can if you want to be, but you don’t have to”.
“You can call it a feminist piece,” said director Ashley DeMoville, ”but it’s a feminist piece that is aware of how feminism helps men as well.”
This subversion of the typical literary norm is exactly one of the things Ashley hopes audiences take away with them.
This farcical comedy is geared toward all ages, but with a particular appeal for children.
Ashley DeMoville, the director of the production, possess a particular connection to the play. Its script was written by her husband, Kemuel DeMoville. She notes that this connection “hasn’t changed anything that (she) really directed” but notes that “the students feel like he’s more accessible.” This is DeMoville’s second time directing this particular play, the first being at Leeward Community College in Hawaii.
Many of the cast members agreed that “Merrymen” is a unique production for them as actors due to its childlike tone.
Their energy and eagerness comes across incredibly well during their rehearsals. There was no obvious animosity between any of the actors.
“You get to discover new ways, you get to try different things and you fail at half of them and that’s part of the process,” DeMoville said. “You really build your skills at creative problem-solving.”
“Merrymen” shows exactly what has drawn people to the theatre for centuries: the comradery, the challenge and the enjoyment.