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S4 E13 - Kiss Me, Kate - Behind the Scenes · Inside the OSD

• 0:07
  SPEAKER1: Today we are at the Oregon High School Performing Arts Center to get a behind the scenes look at the upcoming production of Kiss Me,
• 0:15
  Kate.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:22
  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Doctor Leslie Bergstrom.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER1: We're talking with the director along with a few cast members.
• 0:34
  So thanks for having us today. Opening night is coming up, so we want to jump right in and hear about how things have been going.
• 0:41
  Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a little bit about your role at OHS and with this production?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. Hi. I'm Mike Ducett and I am an English teacher here at the district, and I am the director of the musical this spring.
• 0:57
  And I am directing Kiss Me, Kate.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER1: And so what led to the selection of Kiss Me, Kate for this year's musical?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER3: Well, when we began thinking about a musical for the next season, we meet as a team--and we kind of go through a couple of different factors and
• 1:11
  try to figure out, um, you know, what show is going to be the right fit and for the right time?
• 1:16
  And so since we had done two contemporary shows in a row with Big Fish and Little Mermaid,
• 1:21
  we started to turn back the clocks a little bit to a little bit more of a classic golden age of the musical into a 1948 musical from Cole Porter.
• 1:29
  Um, as directors, I think we all agreed that Cole Porter is one of America's best songwriters and composers,
• 1:38
  and we wanted to bring his music to life on stage here.
• 1:41
  Uh, plus, I really enjoy the, um, kind of the comedy of this play and the connections to Shakespeare.
• 1:48
  Uh, I find that it has a lot of good curricular value for our kids in terms of that.
• 1:52
  And plus, it's a challenging piece that was going to challenge our storytelling abilities and,
• 1:57
  uh, kind of once again, get us some rooted into the classic age of of music theater.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER1: There was so much thought. In other words, there was so much thought put into it because that was--that was a really
• 2:09
  in-depth answer. What is your overall vision for this particular production of Kiss Me,
• 2:14
  Kate, such as are there unique choices or interpretations the audience should look out for?
• 2:19
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. Well, you know, um, kiss Me Kate is not done in a lot of high schools across the country,
• 2:25
  and it does have some source material that, um, could be questionable if you don't approach it from the right aspect.
• 2:32
  And so we wanted to take the challenge of bringing this play that has some liabilities.
• 2:36
  Uh, you know, the basic plot is, uh, is Shakespearean, uh, of a of a man, um, you know,
• 2:43
  trying to make a wife subservient, which is not a real, uh, positive and popular message in 2026.
• 2:49
  Um, but I wanted to approach this work in a way that we could look at it from a new lens and really look at these two really interesting,
• 2:56
  engaging people who have a lot of love and passion for each other.
• 3:00
  Um, and do that in a way that kind of lessens some of those liabilities.
• 3:03
  We updated some, um, lyrics, we updated some changes on--on stage that would be more amenable to modern audiences.
• 3:10
  And I think we've created a nice balance that allows us to kind of approach that.
• 3:15
  So my vision is to hopefully kind of have a show that's, uh, really rooted in those classic traditions but is updated and is educational
• 3:23
  and high value.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER1: Now you've already started answering this a little bit, so you're tackling a complex musical,
• 3:30
  uh, like this one. So what challenges and opportunities does the classic show like this present to the modern audience?
• 3:37
  You've started that already. Is there any more you want to add?
• 3:40
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. So I would think um, for one, um, the the story is, um, going to be relatable to a lot of people who have
• 3:49
  seen kind of older comedies in the 1930s and 40s.
• 3:53
  It's a lot of that battle of the sexes type tropes and themes, um, which, uh, I think is kind of,
• 4:00
  new for these kids. So it's been a challenge to kind of learn that stylistic comedy there. We've had, uh,
• 4:04
  our two leads get into some physical altercations with each other on stage, and we've had to do some,
• 4:10
  some fight choreography to make that look believable and not also offend audiences with,
• 4:15
  you know, a male and a female kind of at each other's throats.
• 4:18
  Um, and then on top of that, um, you know, since this is not a musical where, like,
• 4:23
  you can do projection backgrounds, we've spent a lot of time on lighting design and building a set that's really functional and productive,
• 4:31
  um, as well as with any kind of classic age musical.
• 4:34
  We've had a lot of rehearsals for dancing, tap dancing, especially as we do have that element present in the show too.
• 4:40
  So it's really pushed our, um, many facets of what we do here between our dance design,
• 4:46
  storytelling abilities, blocking abilities, and our approach to try to bring a new story to life.
• 4:52
  It stretched everyone is what it sounds like.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER1: Were there any, um, 1940s screwball comedies that you, thought of or thought to recommend to the kids as a way to get this timing
• 5:04
  going?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER3: Well, I like his girl Friday, right from the 1930s and 40s.
• 5:09
  I also really like the the movie, Some Like It Hot a lot in that sense because that is--Tony Curtis,
• 5:14
  Jack Lemmon. Yeah. To that. Um, that's and we have a very similar comedic trope in here.
• 5:20
  We have a couple of gangsters in the Mafia have come in, and they want their money and they have the wrong man.
• 5:25
  And that really plays a really interesting role in how that shakes down the musical,
• 5:28
  too. So it's been kind of fun to explore that area.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER1: Thank you very much. So beyond what the act, beyond the actors we see on stage,
• 5:35
  what are some of the other crucial component components required to bring the show to life?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER3: Well, we have a--
• 5:41
  SPEAKER1: This set is amazing.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. Thank you. Well, we have an entirely, uh, pretty much a 99.9% student pit,
• 5:48
  which is, uh, a real rarity in in high school musical theater these days.
• 5:52
  We have one person that's an adult behind the keyboard, and the rest are students.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER1: That's wonderful.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER3: And, um, you know, the set design and construction has been done by our students.
• 6:02
  Um, and they've had hands in everything.
• 6:05
  Our lighting design is done by a student.
• 6:07
  Um, and so kids have had their hands everywhere over this program, which is a big point of pride for us.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER1: As it should be. So now we're going to turn to some of our students.
• 6:17
  So thank you, the three of you, for taking a few minutes out of rehearsal to talk with us today.
• 6:22
  So can you please start by introducing yourself, the character you play, and your history with theater performance?
• 6:30
  SPEAKER4: Um, hi, I'm Lia Wochenske. Um, I play Kathryn/Lilly in Kiss Me, Kate.
• 6:36
  I'm a senior, and this is going to be my 10th and final production with OHS.
• 6:42
  So I've been in every single show since I was a freshman here.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER1: Oh, 10th and final. Yeah, that's--that's got to have a lot of feelings coming along with it.
• 6:51
  Gus?
• 6:52
  SPEAKER5: Uh, hello. My name is Gus Sampson. Uh, I'm a senior, and in this show, I play Petruchio and Fred Graham,
• 7:00
  uh, who's, you know, in cahoots with Kathryn.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER1: In cahoots, that you're getting into character right there, I think. Very nice.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER6: Um, I'm Julia Reitmeier. I am not in the show on stage, per se, but I am the stage manager for the show.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER1: Oh, wonderful.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER6: Um, I have been for since my sophomore year, so, again, a.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER1: lot of experience.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER6: Yeah.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER1: Boy, there are a lot of experienced people in this production that is exciting.
• 7:29
  So how have you approached understanding and developing your character?
• 7:33
  So I guess that's, um, for the two of you over here.
• 7:37
  What's your most challenging or rewarding aspect of playing your role?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER4: Um, I would say playing two different characters is really been a challenge because it is a show within a show.
• 7:47
  And so, um, playing simultaneously a divorcee and a woman who is being forced to marry someone that she's not too fond of,
• 7:57
  um, is an interesting back and forth, as well as getting across the concept of being an actress on
• 8:06
  stage, with other things going on backstage and trying to kind of convey that through my performance.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER1: That sounds really complex. This--this is going to be fun to watch.
• 8:17
  How about you, Gus?
• 8:18
  SPEAKER5: Yeah. I mean, I'd say probably the same thing.
• 8:20
  I feel like Fred and Petruchio. While they do have several similarities, their motivations are quite different,
• 8:28
  and there's a lot of differences in the characters and the way that they would act,
• 8:33
  that I feel like I've had to challenge myself into building, into being able to convey through,
• 8:41
  you know, my my acting and my, yeah, you know, emoting stuff.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER1: Oh, just just makes me think of how much this must translate into classroom work you do and interpretation of material.
• 8:56
  Because when you're doing this, you're going through so many layers, and the ability to do that has to transfer into other things you're doing in
• 9:05
  school. So that's really cool. So how much practice went into mastering the musical parts of this production?
• 9:11
  What's your favorite song or dance number?
• 9:13
  And I'd love to hear from all of you because I want to hear your favorite too.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER6: Am I starting?
• 9:19
  SPEAKER1: Okay, sure. Let's hear it.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER6: Um, I have obviously seen all of them many times.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER1: Yes.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER6: Um. Oh, this is hard. I think probably I have three favorites.
• 9:28
  I really like "Too Darn Hot" because the dancing is really fun.
• 9:32
  And I really like "Wunderbar," which Gus and Lia do.
• 9:35
  I like their song, and I really like the opening number too, because they're all just so fun.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER1: Thank you.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER5: Uh, yeah. My favorite song is probably "Where's the Life That Late I led?" It's a song that Petruchio sings in his house,
• 9:49
  where he reflects on how the life that he used to have is now kind of over.
• 9:55
  Because he's married to Kathryn. This shrew.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER1: And you're using Shakespearean, you know, references with the shrew piece, right?
• 10:04
  Okay. Gotcha.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER4: Yeah, it's pretty funny. You should come see it.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER1: I will, I will.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER4: I personally--the song I'm not in. The sad thing about being a lead is that you don't get to be in any of the big dance numbers,
• 10:17
  which is really fun. Um, so I really like the song Bianca.
• 10:20
  Um, because there's just the harmonies are really cool.
• 10:23
  And, um, also, I get to watch my best friend on stage doing what she loves, which is awesome.
• 10:28
  That is. And I think my favorite song that I sing is probably so in love because it it's just very beautiful,
• 10:37
  and it allows me to kind of show my range in a lot of places.
• 10:40
  And it's a very acting heavy song. And yeah, I've been preparing for quite some time now.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER1: Which character sings it? Which of your two characters?
• 10:48
  Okay, gotcha. So this is a major production.
• 10:52
  It takes a lot of time. What's the rehearsal schedule been like?
• 10:56
  Um, especially as the performance is approaching, and how do you balance it with everything else you do,
• 11:02
  such as schoolwork, as an example?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER4: Bold of you to say I balance it. No.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER1: I appreciate
• 11:07
  SPEAKER4: it. Yeah, no, I'm outside of the show too.
• 11:10
  And outside of theater here. A very busy person. I sing in Madison Youth Choirs weekly.
• 11:14
  I'm in the Jerry ensemble. Um, I am singing, performing all the time in choir, band things going on after school.
• 11:22
  So, um, it's a lot of kind of finagling my schedule, um, and trying to prioritize what makes the most sense for me to be doing in
• 11:31
  that moment. Um, and just like some days are hard days and you just gotta wake up the next day and say,
• 11:38
  "this is going to be a better day."
• 11:40
  SPEAKER1: And I imagine when it's over, you'll sleep for a long time, right?
• 11:43
  SPEAKER4: Oh, I will be sleeping before the matinee.
• 11:46
  Those, like six hours you get in the morning before you have to show up to school. Golden slumber right there.
• 11:51
  Yeah.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER1: Good. And you?
• 11:54
  SPEAKER5: Uh. Well, you know, I'll be honest, I'd really just set aside all the other things and just focus on this,
• 12:02
  because I care about this and I like it.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER1: I'm glad you care about it.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER5: Doing homework for whatever. So I think that's a more valuable use of my time for my own personal happiness.
• 12:15
  But so, you know, I'd say for anybody listening, a good piece of advice is do what makes you happy,
• 12:22
  even if there's other things that keep other people say you have to do know what's best for yourself.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER1: Very okay. Very interesting advice. It's working for you, right?
• 12:31
  Yeah. It's working for you. It's working.
• 12:34
  What are you thinking about?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER6: Uh, well, the rehearsal schedule is obviously a little different for me. I mean, they had been practicing for a couple weeks before I started coming to
• 12:42
  rehearsals, but it's really cool to see, like, at the beginning.
• 12:45
  It's pretty rough and hard to watch sometimes, but.
• 12:48
  Sorry. Um, but once, I mean, watching it just get better every time they rehearse it.
• 12:53
  And especially like this week, the more they, like, do it in a row and, you know,
• 12:57
  scene to scene and whatever. It just keeps getting better. And that's really cool. Um,
• 13:02
  with balancing stuff, I mean, yeah, you definitely have to take advantage of the time that you have and especially like these next two weeks,
• 13:09
  like we get home very late and, you know, it's really hard, but I think that we all just try to manage as much as we can
• 13:15
  while we're here. And then once we're done, you know, our life's just like, silent.
• 13:20
  So then we have a bunch of time.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER1: I don't think it'll be silent for long. Um, do you mind starting the next one?
• 13:26
  Oh, sure. Okay, so what would you tell a younger student who's considering getting involved in a musical production?
• 13:32
  Is experience required? Where do they start?
• 13:36
  All that kind of stuff.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER6: I mean, I didn't have a lot of experience coming into especially tech.
• 13:41
  I mean, I had zero, um, I showed up as a freshman, um, for our--Music man, which was our freshman year show musical,
• 13:49
  I believe. That was so long, and I know.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER1: Wow.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER6: And I was the curtain girl, so that was a good first job for me.
• 13:56
  And obviously, you know, work my way up.
• 13:59
  Um, but I definitely would advise students to take it because you meet so many cool people and it's so fun to be a part of something like this.
• 14:06
  And, I mean, I wish I could do it again because, you know, this will be my last one,
• 14:10
  which is crazy.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER1: Well, you never know what opportunities are down the road, right?
• 14:14
  You could be doing it again somewhere else.
• 14:16
  Very true. How about the two of you? Who wants to give some advice?
• 14:20
  SPEAKER5: Uh, well, you know, I only started, um, acting last year.
• 14:26
  Yeah. Uh, I just auditioned for the school play Macbeth, and, uh, I feel like it was something that I really wanted to do,
• 14:35
  because that was probably the only play I was going to audition for, actually.
• 14:39
  But I'm very glad that I did. Uh, and I feel like just the process of working through the audition and I feel
• 14:49
  like that was really fun and it was rewarding.
• 14:53
  And then, you know, I got a good role and that was nice.
• 14:59
  And yeah, I thought it was-- Als--also the entire process of doing a musical or a play is just so fun and learning all your
• 15:08
  lines and all the things you have to do is really fun and rewarding.
• 15:12
  And I feel like anybody that's at all interested in doing it should.
• 15:16
  Absolutely. Because it's not, like, super difficult to audition.
• 15:23
  I mean, you just have to show up and
• 15:26
  SPEAKER4: cross your fingers.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER5: I mean, you should practice your audition too.
• 15:29
  That's probably a good thing.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER1: That's good. That's good advice. But I appreciate the fact that you started a little bit later,
• 15:36
  and then it worked out so well for you. So that might be encouraging for people who haven't started yet and are thinking of giving it a try.
• 15:42
  Yeah.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER5: I mean, I'm disappointed I didn't start earlier because I would have really liked to,
• 15:47
  you know, do this for longer.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER1: Okay. Now, after ten productions, what advice do you give?
• 15:53
  SPEAKER4: Um, well, our musical is a no cut program, so just come and show up to auditions,
• 15:59
  do your best and you'll be able to be on stage as long as you're, like, a nice person.
• 16:05
  Um, and yeah, I would say just try to get yourself involved in as many ways as possible.
• 16:12
  And although it can be really scary to go to that first audition, just do it.
• 16:16
  Um, get known, you know, and. Yeah.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER1: Can I ask, what do you have to do for the audition?
• 16:23
  When you come in for an audition, what does that mean?
• 16:26
  What does it look like? It's. Oh.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. You have to sing a song. Uh, you have to do a little bit of dance, and maybe you have to do a little bit of reading.
• 16:35
  And even, we've kind of. We--I tell kids all the time, a lot of kids say, "well,
• 16:39
  I can't carry a tune. And I say, well, give you the bucket to put it in," so come on out.
• 16:44
  And sometimes, even if you're not the greatest singer, you're a great dancer.
• 16:48
  We'll use you anyway. Um, and even we have some kids that audition with a couple other people and sing a song in a group if they don't feel comfortable singing
• 16:56
  because it's really just about having some strength in numbers, having a vibrant cast and giving kids an opportunity to do something that's
• 17:02
  really good for them and in a way that builds a lot of community.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER1: Yeah, that sounds really encouraging. All right.
• 17:07
  So finally, each one of you, if you had to choose one thing you are most excited for the audience to experience when they see Kiss Me,
• 17:16
  Kate, what would that be?
• 17:19
  SPEAKER4: I think I hate men. Great song. It's a song that Kathryn--
• 17:23
  SPEAKER1: Yes. Okay.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER4: A song that Katherine sings. Um. And there's a lot of.
• 17:28
  It's a really fun, breaking the fourth wall moment where I kind of get to interact with the audience. And I'm really excited to for people to see that.
• 17:35
  Yeah, I think that
• 17:36
  SPEAKER1: does
• 17:36
  SPEAKER4: sound fun. I hope it gets a lot of laughs.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER1: I'm sure--I'm sure it will.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER5: Uh, well, I'd say just all the parts that are just The Taming of the Shrew is my personal favorite,
• 17:47
  and I feel like that's, you know, fun for the audience to see.
• 17:50
  Hopefully, maybe, maybe they won't like that, but, uh, yeah, I think all the songs are.
• 17:56
  I mean, all the songs are really good and just really well made, and I feel like they're performed pretty awesome.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER7: I bet they are. Yeah.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER5: So if not for the Shakespeare bits, then the songs is pretty good.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER7: Very good.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER6: Yeah. Um, and I would I would honestly agree with Gus, because I think it's really cool that we kind of,
• 18:16
  you know, I mean, you can see now, but obviously people are listening to this, can't see it.
• 18:20
  But, um, the backstage in like, the difference between, like, when they're backstage versus like when we make it a stage I think is
• 18:28
  really cool, especially, you know, for tech like me.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER1: Stage within a stage.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER6: Right. And, uh, we made sure to make it like pretty obvious that like, when the play is happening versus when they're just offstage.
• 18:39
  Um, so we have some pretty cool, uh, projections and stuff on the side, and I think that's super cool.
• 18:45
  So I'm just excited for people to start seeing it because I think it's really awesome and really fun.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER1: Oh, I love that. Thank you. We're so proud of your work and dedication and we're really looking forward to this performance.
• 18:57
  And thanks to our listeners for tuning in this week.
• 19:00
  Performances of Kiss Me Kate are this weekend, February 20th, 21st, and 22nd at the Oregon High School Performing Arts
• 19:09
  Center. You can get your tickets online at www.OregonPerformingArtsCenter.com.
• 19:19
  Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside the OSD and submit topic ideas on our website at
• 19:26
  OregonSD.org/Podcast. You can find this podcast anywhere you can find podcasts.
• 19:34
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 19:40
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.