Guys and Dolls Review
This March, Westminster showed their winter production of Guys and Dolls. The musical romantic comedy by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling centers around the hilarious story of a clever gambler and a puritanical missionary as well as a showgirl wanting to settle down with a crap game manager.
The actors shared many hilarious moments together on and off the stage, making their experience memorable and giving the show a spark that the audience enjoyed seeing. Ava Berutti, junior and actress playing Sarah Brown, said that her favorite part of the show was “being able to dance and sing while my character was drunk and going out of my comfort zone.” The unpredictability and comedy of the scene was portrayed very well, most likely due to Berutti’s enjoyment of acting it.
Meanwhile offstage, junior and actor playing Sky Masterson, Stewart Geisz, said, “My favorite moment was every time at the end of act one. I throw my hat to the ground in a fit of rage and people backstage can tell you that I look real mad. Sam Parker Stillman and Luke Laughlin would come beside me and say stuff like ‘it’s gonna be ok’, ‘we know the end of the story’, and ‘it’s all gonna work out’ while I jokingly raged all the way to the boys’ dressing room. This quickly turned into a game as more and more guys would come beside me and try to keep me from getting to the boys dressing room.” The comradery of the actors that was built offstage brought teamwork and a special quality to the show.
Overall, the show was a success with 341 people viewing online through the Livestream or the Director’s Cut as well as averaging 185 in-person viewers in the audience each night according to Allen Schwamb and Kathy Eichelberger, both members of the Westminster theater department. The set and costumes looked near professional as they brought a liveliness to the stage and made the show even more enjoyable to watch. All of the cast members clearly worked hard to make the production one they could be proud of. Belle St. John, junior and stage manager of the show, said, “I think that we successfully pulled off the show without any hitches, and all of the scene changes were fluid and well done. I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish” and Elizabeth Nolting, senior and actress playing Miss Adelaide said, “I am extremely proud of the show. So much work was put into it and I believe the resulting show reflected that. It was a pleasure to be involved.”
