O’Shea theater is set to unveil its spring musical, the beloved classic Oklahoma!. Show dates are March 20th at 6pm, 21st at 1pm, and the 26th and 27th at 6pm. Tickets are $6 for students and $11 for non-students. Tickets are easily available and sold on GoFan.
A story of love and community, Oklahoma! is set in 1906, right before Oklahoma’s statehood and during a period of rivalry between cowboys and local Farmers. Oklahoma! Follows the chaotic romance of Cowboy Curly McLain and farm girl Laurey William’s, a pair too stubborn to confess their love for one another and kept apart by menacing farmhand, Jud Fry.
Laurey Williams is being brought to life by sophomore Allison Urbina. She has acted for other companies in the past, but this is her first time acting with O’Shea theater. Urbina is a bright girl with an even brighter presence you will be guaranteed to feel when watching her on stage.
“[Acting] gives me a chance to experiment with acting like differenet people, have different emotions, make people laugh and smile, and be a little silly,” Urbina says.
As part of her experimenting, Urbina has made several creative choices in her portrayal of Laurey. From singing her heart out at home to practicing on the stage, Urbina has put in countless hours to portray Laurey as best she can.
“I chose to act more feminine, like a country girl,” Urbina says. “I tried to be more sassy, she’s a very stubborn girl and that’s a big part of her character.”
Behind the curtain, tech and stage crew faced their own challenges. With just around a month to build an entire set, it took long hours and hard work to construct Aunt Eller’s home, perfect props, and complete light and sound cues.
“We were here pretty much everyday until 9 at night,” a member of the construction crew says. “We were all really grateful for all the parents and the PTSA for giving us dinner for a week straight.”
Despite the demanding practice schedules, actors and crew agree that the hard work has made the final product even more meaningful. Now more than ever, we all need to feel a sense of community. The students at O’Shea theater hope to bring an experience full of laughter and fun.
