Local boys hone talents at BSP

Three local boys got the chance to join the professional company this season at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse.

Jacob Sefcak and James Vale, both seniors at Bigfork High School this year, and Colton Christensen, who is a home-schooled senior in Kalispell but performs regularly with the Bigfork Playhouse Children's Theatre, all earned what they say was an invaluable opportunity to intern this summer at the playhouse.

They are in all of the currently playing shows except "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," which opened and had rehearsals while they were still in school in May and the beginning of June.

Both Sefcak and Christensen, who are acting interns, have often been seen on stage at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts in children's theatre productions. The children's theatre is known for being fast paced with rehearsals for two weeks after school before a production hits the stage, but the playhouse takes it to a whole other level, Sefcak said. The schedule can be grueling — starting rehearsals at 9 a.m. and finishing the show after 10 p.m.

"It's so much different than something as easy as children's theatre," Sefcak said. "I feel it's one of the best experiences for someone who wants to go into the field. I'm still in high school and am able to interact with those people and learn from them."

As a home-school student, Christensen said being a member of the company has not only given him acting skills, but social skills as well.

"Being able to interact with these talented actors from throughout the United States, I've learned how to get along in the world socially," he said. "They've also helped us learn new ways to move our feet. They take time out of their rehearsing."

The two actors said they feel they are given more of a role in shows than prior interns.

"The directors have been very generous with us," Sefcak said.

They have been in the chorus and background and included in dance numbers. They've even had a line or two. Christensen gets to be an emcee in "Sugar Babies."

"Brach (Thomson, artistic director for the BPCT) taught us well," Christensen said. "We've been keeping up and it speaks really well to Brach."

But, still it's a big difference from the lead roles they both have had in the children's theatre. In the last production of the BPCT's season, "Back to the 80s," both played prominent roles. Sefcak starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in the winter production of "Bah Humbug! A Christmas Carol" and Christensen was featured as Willy Wonka in the play by the same name last fall.

"Going from pretty good roles in children's theatre to this is different," Sefcak said. "You get the idea of how you need to improve your game. It's always fun to be the lead role, but it's good to also know how to be a member of an ensemble. Being in the ensemble, you almost learn more, you always have to be doing something on stage. You learn how to give attention to the people who deserve it. Our job is to make them look good, to send the focus where it should be on stage."

Christensen said he expected the ensemble roles to be easier after coming from leads, but he found out that that is not necessarily the case. The director for "All Shook Up," Landon Shaw, taught them to treat their ensemble role like a lead character and to think about his objectives and personality.

"He said it's a lot harder than the lead," Christensen said. "The lead character is melded out for you. It was a good training and good experience for me."

Thomson, who also serves in roles with the playhouse including associate producer and music director, says the opportunity to mix and mingle with professional actors has benefited both the boys.

"Those boys got such an education this summer both on stage and off stage," Thomson said. "They've just grown immensely."

While Sefcak and Christensen have been seen by local audiences on stage, Vale, as a member of the band, has been behind the scenes.

"It's like being a lineman in football — you feel like you're doing the hard work in the trenches without any attention," he said. "But the people who do say something, they are the ones that know what they are looking for."

Vale plays the guitar in the company's band. His position can be challenging — learning every song of every production to be able to play all of them with confidence each night.

That was something he was nervous about. Vale, who describes himself as being more of a rock musician in the past, learned guitar first and how to read music second. He was worried interning at the playhouse would be "a peg or two above my level," he said.

But, he found that his bandmates were supportive and encouraging.

"They always help you and have been patient with me and put in a lot of work," he said.

He still does get some down time and how much he plays depends on the show. In "All Shook Up," he shines with solos while in "Sugar Babies' he plays less of a role.

"Right off the bat, you learn where you stand. It's a nice reality check," Vale said. "I know now where I need to work."

One of those fellow bandmates is Thomson, who said he's admired how Vale has picked up the knack for this kind of playing.

"It's a whole different type of playing for him," Thomson said. "He's been able to adjust on the fly. The job is always to make the actors look good. We adjust to make sure no one notices if they drop a beat or come in two lines early. He's a fine budding musician."

These summer internships have helped cement to all three that this is something they want to do with their lives.

"I think Bigfork is the best training ground," Christensen said. "Honestly, I want to do it for all four professional years. Every year that's four big musicals for your resume."

Being with the professional actors has also been helpful as the boys consider what to do after they finish high school this year.

"The actors give advice on school. Their insight really helps out," Sefcak said. "It's invaluable."

Sefcak is looking at schools on both coasts right now as he narrows his search for a four-year school with a solid theatre program.

Having an internship at the playhouse that includes more than 50 performances won't look to shabby on their resumes either.

"The Bigfork Summer Playhouse on our resume is definitely a great thing to have when applying to college," Christensen said.

For now, Christensen plans to start at Flathead Valley Community College to get his general education requirements out of the way and do some community theatre throughout the Valley.

He's hopeful to continue at the playhouse in the summers. Then it will be on to a university.

Vale said he may take a year off after high school, but whether it's college or another path, either will include music, he said. If he goes to college, he hopes to major in music and perhaps minor in theatre.

Saturday is the last show of the playhouse's regular season. Remaining shows include "All Shook Up" today, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' on Friday and "Fiddler on the Roof" as the closing show Saturday. All shows start at 8 p.m. at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts.

Though the regular season is ending, another show still remains. "Tom Foolery," a revue celebrating the work of 1950s and 1960s performer Tom Lehrer, will open Aug. 26 and run through Sept 4.

For ticket information, call the box office at 837-4886 or visit www.bigforksummerplayhouse.com.