“Even though many men are in this show, it’s a woman’s story,” said Mackensie King, who portrays Rose and recently directed Dare to Defy’s production of “Children of Eden.”
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“Stories about strong women are not told very often. But this story reminds us how important it is to be a strong, independent woman in the face of terrible things. At the end of the day, women are in charge of themselves. Even though bad things can happen, how you view yourself is what really matters. You have to love yourself first. But this show also reminds men how to treat women. People have feelings. You don’t know what people are going through and how they can be affected by something. I’m very glad to be able to tell a woman’s story, especially since Rose is stronger in the end.”
"Watching Rose grow from someone who views herself as 'just another sad fat girl' into a beautiful woman of self-worth is inspiring," echoed Angie Thacker, who directed Dare to Defy's thrillingly in-your-face "American Idiot" last season. "Along with the obvious battles being played out in the show, I am most partial to the body image issue and what constitutes beauty. This show forces one to look beyond the physical and into the character, personality and humanism of a person. The fact that Eddie can't accept (his true feelings for Rose) in front of his friends and even tries to hide his true relationship with her because of how his friends view her is a testament to how society still views people that don't necessarily fall into the (categorization) of what beauty is."
“Playing Eddie has been, and continues to be, a daily discovery of a life I’ve never known,” said Ray Zupp, who portrayed the disillusioned and spoiled Warren in Playground Theatre’s terrific take on “This is Our Youth” earlier this season. “We come to find Eddie’s (life is) built up as a form of self-protection. Like most young men drafted into Vietnam, he hides his fear of what’s out there with the hopes of being a hero like their fathers before them. The show itself is a memory play. It’s a glimpse into the life of a young man shattered by the ugliness of war. This role has helped me dive into the minds and lives of those who have protected our country and the deep mental/emotional scars war leaves on them. Even in 2017 mental illness is still stigmatized and often ignored, soldiers return from serving often unable to cope with what they’ve seen and what they’ve done.”
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The cast includes Bobby Mitchum as Bernstein, Layne Roate as Boland, Tia Seay as Marcy/Peggy/Hippie, Jesse Trieger as Fector/Bus Passenger/Understudy Eddie, David Baker as Stevens/Bus Passenger, Brett Norgaard as Gibbs/Bus Driver, Danielle DeLorme as Mama/Suzette/Hippie, Samantha Creech as Ruth Two Bears/Librarian/Chippy/Hippie, Skyler McNeely as Lounge Singer/Pete, and TC Schreier as Swing.
In addition to Zupp as scenic designer, Thacker’s artistic team includes music director Lorri Topping, choreographer Lisa Glover, costumer Olivia Dakin, and lighting designer Derryck Menard.
"'Dogfight' being a memory play is reflected in the scenery," Zupp explained. "The setting is San Francisco but what the audience sees is what's left in (Eddie's) altered memory (such as) pulls of color that float in a non-descript part of town where Eddie meets Rose. I wanted the audience to see a physical interpretation of his memory, broken by loss and subsequent PTSD. It's been an evolving design as I've discovered who Eddie truly is and how the environment should reflect what he's held onto with such desperation, which is shown in this beautifully crafted story."
Pasek and Paul’s tuneful score, a skillful blend of pop and contemporary musical theater recalling the musicality of Billy Joel and Jason Robert Brown, includes “Some Kinda Time,” “Nothing Short of Wonderful,” “Come to a Party,” “Hometown Hero’s Ticker Tape Parade,” and the fiery title tune.
WANT TO GO?
What: "Dogfight: The Musical"
Where: Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets
When: March 31-April 8; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays
Cost: $19.50-$24.50
Tickets: Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit ticketcenterstage.com
FYI: The production contains adult themes and language
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