This month, we are pleased to spotlight Jamie Petitto, aka Miss Scarlet in Clue. Jamie also serves as our trailer videographer extraordinaire and prior to Clue, has found her way to our stage in The One Act Play That Goes Wrong and Diner on the Way (2019). In addition, Jamie volunteers on our Programming Committee that reads scripts for the next season’s shows.
 
Recently, Jamie and board member Jim Ditto met up on the banks of the Twisp River. As the rushing water provided background, they talked middle names (she won’t tell you hers), favorite dinosaurs (brontosaurus), theater, acting for pay, acting on camera, and what makes people laugh. 

Q. Tell us about your past experience with theater?
 
After booking the role of narrator in Stone Soup in second grade and watching everyone stare at me and tell me how good I was because I could read [STILL TRUE] and I had a cute hat, I knew that’s what I wanted to do forever.
 
And so in my junior year of high school, I decided to audition for Romeo and Juliet. I thought I could get Juliet. I got the nurse, which makes sense now — the comedic relief. Because of auditioning and booking, I was demoted from the varsity soccer team to JV because they said I couldn’t do both. So they called me Big Mama because that’s the year that Chicago came out — the musical with Queen Latifa as Big Mama — because I was the only junior on the JV team. It was all freshmen and sophomores, then me.
 
I just always realized that being in theater was going to be a sacrifice and not my profession because I liked doing too many things. It wouldn't be my college major — it didn't seem practical and I never considered it a career — acting or theater. I just thought theater was a way to hang out with people who were like me, and I almost always did comedies. Even as the nurse, I was doing Shakespearean comedy.
 
What excites you about live theater?
 
Even if you say the same words, in the same order, for the same amount of time, every night, seven days a week, you’re still going to have a different show because there are different people, with different reactions, and they’re bringing different concepts and realities and expectations to the table. It changes you on stage, whether you realize that or not. I like that you feel differently, even if you’re saying the same thing over and over again. I’ve never had such a monotonous variance in all my life. Heh heh heh. It’s addicting. It’s like “What are we having for dinner?” And you’re like, “Chicken.” And you’re like, “I don’t know why it tastes different tonight. It just tastes different tonight.” Tonight’s lemon chicken because the audience brought lemon that night. It’s garlic chicken because the audience brought garlic.
 
The audience brings the seasoning to an entree that is the same. Same entree, different seasonings every night.
 
Plus you never know. It’s not safe! You could, at any point… Isn’t everyone’s nightmare if they’re in acting, that they’re on stage and they can’t remember their line? Haven’t you had that dream? That you were on stage and you were just given the script? That you haven’t had time to prepare… So to go on stage, that’s still an option. It’s back there in your subconscious and you’re like, “I could say whatever I want and sabotage this. Someone in the audience could stand up and sabotage this.” I guess I like that you show up and we’re all on the same page, that we’re all going to be supportive and we’re all going to have fun. And they’re ROOTING for you!
 
Why do you think it’s important for the Methow Valley to have live theater?
 
When you live in the Methow Valley, I think you share a set of experiences that all relate to one another. You all know what it’s like to maybe garden or to recreate outside. Or you’re all going to the same restaurants because there’s a handful… So you can relate to all of these people all of the time. You’re going to the same events. And if you love theater, then we can bring in stories that aren’t the Methow. They’re in a second story apartment in New York City. They are in Namibia. They are underwater. They are… you know? And I imagine most of the material we bring, even if it’s The Wizard of Oz, that the Methow hasn’t experienced and this allows them to go to the same restaurants or your same riverside hole and have your mind expand and and come up with a friend that you’ve seen every day for thirty years and having maybe a new opinion on something, a place, or experience you haven’t thought about before. Live theater brings this novel concept to your mind, even if your body does the same thing on repeat in this valley, that you can relate to. I like that actors are leading the audiences into a new expansive world that’s different in their mind.

Live theater in the Methow allows people to think about other things. It’s a way of traveling, like the Armchair Traveller. I think, maybe it’s just projecting because I like traveling, but I think getting someone to sit in a seat and have their mind travel elsewhere is actually a healthy thing to do, whether it’s to appreciate this local area more, or as much, or whether it inspires them to get out, for a second, of this small community and then come back? I don’t know.
 
I think that there’s something charming about community theater.  It’s people doing it because they just really enjoy telling a story. And they’re just like, “Hey, sit back,” And they’ll just go around the fire — except it’s a theater. It’s a story.
 
 
“The Merc loves the stories Jamie tells as an actor and a videographer. Thank you Jamie, for sharing your insights as well as your stories and inspiration!” 
​

Interview by Kira Cramer

This month’s spotlight shines on Kendal Clifton, our musical director for our summer camp production of The Claw. Kendal worked closely with Megan Hicks for both sessions of campers, teaching them many songs about friendship and conquering fears. Kendal currently attends WSU and is studying Music Education. We are grateful to her for spending two weeks of her summer at The Merc with our young actors.

Kendal and I found some time during rehearsals to talk about her theater experiences. Our conversation follows:

Tell us about your past experience with theater.
Kendal has been performing in plays and musicals from 3rd grade on, and she’s 19 now. She has been cast in ensemble and lead roles in musical and non-musical productions. Some of Kendal’s favorite roles are The Cat in The Hat, Seussical and as Maria in The Sound of Music.


What excites you about live theater?
Kendal shares that she is excited about participating in live theater because it is unique – much  different from a movie-musical. While film production often has multiple takes, live theater is intimate; no matter what character you play, someone in the audience will make a connection. 

As an actor, she says that she enjoys portraying a character totally unlike who she is.


Why is live theater important in a small community like the Methow Valley?
Kendal doesn’t come from a super small community, but she believes that live theater gives everyone something to participate in. She says that it’s a way for kids to understand what a community can be, and that theater doesn’t always have to be competitive or like Broadway. 

Kendal continues that live theater is an important building block that helps community members, young and older, know each other in ways different from just knowing each other in a small community.


Can you share a unique experience you have had in a theater setting… As an actor or director?
Kendal responded that in junior high, she was the understudy for Peter Pan and had no idea what it was going to entail. She learned a lot when she shadowed the actor who was playing Peter Pan (she was cast as one of the Lost Boys.) The part taught her that it’s okay not to be the lead because she realized that everyone gets a turn and the role you are cast in is usually what’s best for you and the show. 

Kendal also shared that she choreographed the dances for Seussical with her friends in high school, noting that it was fun to be behind the scenes as well as on the stage. Kendal highly recommends getting some experience in any aspect of theater–on stage as well as backstage – because working in multiple areas of the theater teaches a variety of skills and helps you gain appreciation for all that goes into a production.


What draws you to a particular script like The Claw?
Kendal commented that she did not expect The Claw to  address as many topics as it does. She noted the complexities of emotions in the music–friendship and navigating life choices, which can  teach the actors as well as audience members valuable life lessons that she hopes stick with them. She comments further that good theater has something that everyone can relate to, and if she were to choose a script for a children’s show, it would definitely be uplifting. In a good script, she says, struggle is necessary so that there is a positive resolution. Kendal says that music is most important to her – she is a musician first and a thespian second. Music, she says, always amplifies the story.

As a director, what do you hope to accomplish?
Kendal’s first goal is for the kids to have a good time. It should be fun, they should feel safe, and learn something. Whether they pursue music or theater, it is a great experience to express yourself and work on a team. Sports are more pressure, but theater allows you to be yourself with less confinement. 

Kendal hopes the actors leave the camp with a sense of accomplishment, and  if they get the message from the show, that’s great. If they have the songs stuck in their head, it might become their motto and that is powerful – “it’s the best day…”


Anything else you would like to share?
Kendal shares that The Merc Playhouse could be in a much bigger city and do just as well because of  the quality of performance and talent. She further states that the Methow Valley community is so powerful with auditions happening during the week of camp. She loves that everyone seems to know and help each other out. 

Kendal also stated how amazing Megan Hicks is as a director, actress, dancer, and choreographer; she says that she has learned so much being in her productions and working with her. Kendal continues that Megan has thoroughly inspired her to become a teacher with her passion and creativity, and Kendal hopes to continue participating in theater’s many aspects.

We are so fortunate to have Kendal as our Musical Director during camp weeks and hope she will be back to work with our Merc Playhouse campers in the future.

​

Interviewed by Kira Cramer, Executive Director
 
KIRA: Tell us about your experience with theater.
DON: Before I connected with The Merc, my last acting had been in a high school production of The Mouse That Roared. I played a crazy general, I think. About 10 years ago, Jane Hubrig and Ki Gottberg convinced me to take a role in Twelfth Night, which Ki was directing with a Western setting. I played Sir Toby Belch, a drunken womanizer, so typecasting right off the bat! I don’t know what I was thinking going straight from nothing to Shakespeare, but I had a great time with the cast and crew and have been hooked ever since.

I also acted in a Readers Theater production of Morning’s at Seven, and a full production of The Importance of Being Earnest (so, I went from a drunken womanizer to an Anglican minister — easy transition). I rehearsed for the full production of The Real Inspector Hound, but had to drop out at the last minute because of a medical issue. Big disappointment, especially in that it turns out my character was in fact the “real” Inspector Hound.

I have directed two Readers Theater productions (The Gift of the Magi and The Lifespan of a Fact) and one full production (Rope). Each was a different experience, all were incredibly rewarding.

KIRA: What excites you about live theater?
DON: Engaging with the audience, taking them to someplace they have never experienced for a couple of hours. During that time, the audience and cast agree to suspend disbelief and remove themselves from the rest of the world, in a shared space. It’s intimate, personal and often emotional. And there’s the uncertainty of being “live” — it’s like a tightrope walk every night. You have to be OK with that challenge, as nervous as it might make you (and I am always nervous).

KIRA: Why is it important in a small community like the Methow Valley?
DON: It’s a creative outlet and opportunity for people who thrive in that kind of environment (and it seems there are plenty of us). For audiences, it’s a chance to experience excellent and diverse productions and enjoy the creative talents of people they know. For me, it’s a way to not be “the publisher” for a while, and take part in something I enjoy.

KIRA: Can you share a unique experience you have had in a theater
setting... as an actor or director?
DON: ​In a broader sense, I have realized (and used to my advantage) that there are similarities in what I do as a newspaper editor and what I do as a director. The parallels are interesting. I explored that connection in an essay I wrote for Nieman Storyboard, a website devoted to narrative writing and editing skills. You can find it at The role of editor as director. The one generic lesson I’ve learned is that, when you are putting a play (or a story) together, everything is intentional.

KIRA: What draws you to a particular script like Rope or The Lifespan of A Fact?
DON: I like intriguing, nuanced characters and moral ambiguity. Rope was a psychological thriller that posed questions about how far someone would go to prove their beliefs. Lifespan took on a hot-button topical issue that is not easily resolved, as we learned from a very well-written script which gave each of the characters a lot to do.

KIRA: As a director, what do you hope to accomplish?
DON: For the audience, I would hope they’d come away asking questions and talking about what they just saw. For the cast, I would like them to feel invested in the characters and be respected for their efforts to inhabit the roles; and to feel like part of a supportive team. I’m not a taskmaster director, I don’t think — I try to convey my sense of what the play is attempting to accomplish, and what each character contributes to that. But I do go in with a very clear idea of what I want to happen.

KIRA: Anything else you would like us to know?
DON: There are all kinds of ways to get involved in community theater, and every one of them is crucial to a successful production. You don’t have to act or direct to have a meaningful “role” in bringing a play to life. A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into making it possible for those actors to walk out on the stage every night (and they are grateful for it).