BPCT welcomes adults in holiday play cast

When Diana Rahdert showed up for auditions for the Bigfork Playhouse Children Theatre's "Bah, Humbug! A Christmas Carol," she sat down by a man sitting by himself, one of the few other adults in the room.

"I asked him if he was there to audition as an adult and he said, 'Yeah, I've been waiting for this for 50 years,'" Rahdert said. "It summed it up. It hasn't been 50 years for me, but this is one of the things I've always wanted to do."

For the first time, artistic director Brach Thomson has opened up a BPCT production to adults, and about a dozen came out to get involved in the play that will open this weekend.

"During the holiday time, it was a way to incorporate people you would otherwise not see," Thomson said. "The story is well known enough that they would not be as intimidated by my schedule."

And Thomson's schedule is intense, usually only a few short weeks to put together a full-scale production. For this show, he tacked on an extra week.

Even for some experienced adult actors, that time table is tight. Barbara Langlois, who plays Scrooge's first governess Miss Fezziwig, has performed with the Bigfork Community Players since the group started 25 years ago. She's been itching for a chance to work with Thomson.

"It's been really interesting," Langlois said. "It's a lot different than other productions. His style, of course, is directed toward children. It's fascinating to see."

Thomson's rehearsal schedule has been one of the biggest differences for Langlois and has been shorter than any of the other shows she's worked in.

"It's a little scary around the edges," she said. "I'm just incredibly flattered that he picked me for the cast."

For Rahdert, the schedule wouldn't have mattered. She would have made it work no matter what. Appearing in the play is the fulfillment of a desire she's carried with her since her first taste of theatre.

"I've always really loved musicals and live theatre," Rahdert said. "For me, it's something I've always wanted to do. There aren't many opportunities."

Rahdert performed in chorus roles in high school and junior high productions and joined a mime theatre group at Purdue University.

She always loved every element in the theatre, but had still never been able to act on her own.

"Always in the back of my mind, I wanted to have lines," Rahdert said.

Then, after she moved to Bigfork, her oldest and now her youngest daughters joined the BPCT.

"My role was mom watching shows and living a little vicariously through the children," Rahdert said.

With the announcement that Thomson would be allowing adults to join the cast of "A Christmas Carol," Rahdert saw her chance.

Her goal was to make it through auditions. And she did, with the help of her daughter Wilson Vogt, who will also appear in the play.

Vogt, 11, coached Rahdert through her monologue for auditions and helped calm her nerves, she said.

"She has really been my mentor through this," Rahdert said. "It's been really fun for her to be more of the expert and me being the one that gets to learn from her."

Rahdert was cast as Polly Pointer, one of the women raising money for the poor. Vogt will play Virginia, one of Bob Cratchit's children.

Rahdert said starting rehearsals at 5:30 p.m. has made it easy for those who work. She said having the scripts in advance and the songs via e-mail helped her familiarize herself with the show.

Her biggest fear now is blanking out on stage during a performance. One of the surprises about her role has been a solo in one of the songs.

"It came as a bit of a surprise for me," Rahdert said. "I haven't considered myself a singer. I figured if I'm going to go for the challenge, go all the way. If [Brach] felt comfortable that I can handle it, then I can handle it. It will be a nice moment at the end of the song if all goes well."

Rahdert is not the only mother in the show.

Kim Vierra-Diehl also joins her daughter, Taylor, in the cast. Taylor has been in BPCT productions for four years.

"I always thought it looked like so much fun," Kim Vierra-Diehl said. "Brach is absolutely amazing and incredible."

Vierra-Diehl, a self-described "drama queen," did a little bit of acting in high school. Playing her role as Victoria Vassar, one of the women seeking money from Scrooge for the poor, has allowed her to recapture those feelings.

"I feel fantastic, though it's harder to memorize than when I was younger," Vierra-Diehl said. "I feel so honored to be a part of this at all, especially the first time they let adults in."

Vierra-Diehl said it's been fun to do this with her daughter and to see her excitement, although both work on their own at rehearsals, as Taylor, who plays Rachel, has friends in the production.

Vierra-Diehl said she's used to hectic schedules anyway, so the rehearsal time didn't faze her.

"I kind of survive on chaos," she said.

The adults in the show have at least one thouhgt in common – that it's the youth in the production who shine.

"They're just wonderful kids. They're really professional," Rahdert said. "They've been great at helping me out since it's my first time. I kind of follow their lead."

This performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts may be the first, but Thomson would like to see it become a regular event.

"I would like it to become a tradition," Thomson said. "I would like it to be something we do every year that people never miss."

With between 20 and 30 different scripts available, Thomson said he could still keep a reoccurring show interesting.

"I could do it for the next 10 years and not duplicate it," Thomson said.

"Bah, Humbug! A Christmas Carol," a musical version of the classic Charles Dicken's story, will open Dec. 11. Performances will run at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19 with a 2 p.m. matinee Dec. 13.

Tickets will be $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students and $6 for children under 10.

For more information, call 837-4886, e-mail bpct@bigforksummerplayhouse.com or visit www.bigforksummerplayhouse.com.