The Summer Theatre of New Canaan is putting on “Matilda” this summer, running July 10 through 26 at New Canaan High School. We sat down with the nonprofit organization’s founder and artistic director, Melody Libonati, to talk about the show, cast and what makes this production special.
Here’s a transcription of our conversation.
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New Canaanite: Tell us a little bit about the Summer Theatre of New Canaan. How long have you been putting on shows here and how did it get started?
Melody Libonati: I had this idea 23 years ago that New Canaan needed a theater dedicated to the summertime. Through my experience as a professional actor, I always loved summer productions. It’s a time when people are free, and even if they don’t go to the theater much, it might be a time that they would come. And looking at our town, I really wanted it to be a theater for families, because that is a lot of the demographic here. I wanted to do very high quality shows. I wanted it to be a professional theater. I wanted to make sure that everyone was paid, that everyone was respected in that way, so that they know that what they’re doing is their vocation and a very creative job.
What made you choose “Matilda” for this year?
It’s a very interesting show. It is a family show, it’s for young families, but it’s really also an adult show. It’s a show that adults can really listen to and learn from. And Matilda is a pretty sophisticated actor, or character I should say. And actor. The show is like a puzzle. If you like puzzles, no matter what your age, it’s something that you have to put together, and this particular Matilda becomes very clear in that puzzle. It’s fascinating.
What’s something about the stage musical that even people who know the book or have seen the movie might not expect?
Live theater. Live theater is like nothing else. It’s not sitting and watching something that someone else has done. It’s right in your face, and it’s close up. It’s not something that you sit back and watch because it’s something that every person in the audience becomes involved in.
Tell me about this production. How has it been going so far?
We’re in tech, which means we’re doing all of the spacing and the lighting and the sound and putting it all together. We’ve been two weeks in the rehearsal room and now we have just 10 days to put it up on its feet and open. It’s going so well. We have an amazing cast. Many of our actors come in from New York, so you probably see them on the train coming and going. Then we have 11 children in this show also. So this is done by adults and children, and that’s kind of unique.
How many people are in the cast?
The cast is about 25, with an ensemble and main characters. And then we have a whole crew. Our numbers come up to 100 as far as people working on the show. Designers, choreographer, director, stage managers. It takes a lot of people if you’re going to really do a show that tells a full story.
Are there any professional or notably experienced performers involved?
There are people that are on Broadway, have been on Broadway, that have done national tours. In fact, the person that plays Mrs. Phelps, the librarian, did the national tour of the show. I can’t even go through what everyone has done. Come, look at the program and see the high quality of performers. They’ve done everything and they’re just top notch.
Matilda has some tricky staging elements, like the famous swing scene. How are you handling that?
We have swings. The most magical thing is the story about the escapologist and the acrobat. That story is circus, and we have two professional circus performers playing those roles on what’s called a lira, a circle that goes up. I was watching that rehearsal yesterday, and they’re phenomenal. This is what they do. You get a show and a circus at the same time.
Is there a particular song or moment you’re especially excited for audiences to see?
Well, we’ve been living with the song “Revolting Children”. It was the first thing that they auditioned with, and the choreography is so much fun. The show, because of the themes of Matilda, of listening to a child, of how one person can make a big difference. There are bullies in this world, and you have to fight against them, you have to stand up against them. So when you get those themes together, that’s where the song comes in, all the kids revolt. It’s so much fun to see them all become revolting children. And then the whole ensemble comes in, and that song is just, it just blows you away.
What would you say to someone who has never come to a STONC show before?
Every single person that has come up to me and said they’d never been here before has said, I had no idea it was going to be like this. I had no idea of the caliber of this company. Thank you, and we’ll be back.
How can people get tickets, and is there anything they should know?
Everything is on our website, stonc.org. We run Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting July 10th through July 26th. There are different pricings for different shows. There’s also a phone number, 203-966-4634. We have two wonderful admin interns who are delightful on the phone and will help you get tickets and answer any question. If you’re not sure how to get tickets, give a call and they’ll be happy to help.
Is there anything else you’d want New Canaan families to know?
Just come and see it before it’s too late. The three weeks that we run, it goes very, very quickly. You will hear, believe me, it’ll be the buzz around town: how wonderful it is, how emotional it is, how lovely, and how much the story really matters.