Free, accessible theater returned to East Lansing June 15 as the Summer Circle Theatre began the season with a production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!”
Summer Circle Theatre is turning toward a more family-friendly direction, said Katherine Clemons, the director of the show. “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” was the perfect choice to “chauffeur in the new era of family-friendly theater.”
Even though it is a university-run program, Summer Circle Theatre is a fixture in the East Lansing community.
“SCT is a staple in the East Lansing Community,” Clemons said. “We have members who have been coming for 40+ years, never missing a show. It’s a place for the community to gather together and partake in the arts for free together.”
The outdoor courtyard was already half filled an hour before showtime.
There’s a tradition in the program that awards a pair of season passes for the upcoming Michigan State University theater season to the first arrivals who remain seated until the show begins, Clemons said.
“One year, there was a woman who’d been there since 2 p.m. even though the show didn’t start until 7 p.m.,” Clemons said.
The winners on opening night were the Brown family, who’ve been coming for six years. That day, they brought along a new friend, their dog, Buttercup.
The loud music and cheers from the audience drew passersby in, some even stopping mid-bike ride to enjoy the show.
“You can feel the love and community when you are at the shows,” Clemons said. “It’s just a joyous space filled with laughter.”
Nicoline Bradford
Audience members of all ages enjoy the energetic performance.“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” features 21 Schoolhouse Rock songs strung together by a plot about a nervous teacher preparing for his first day of class.
Kamryn Sarratt, who plays Dina in the show, said her favorite song was “Ready or Not”
“That’s when we run around in the audience and play hide and seek,” Sarratt said “We get to interact with the kids and count on our fingers and stuff.”
The audience had their favorites as well, which was shown by cheers when classics like “Conjunction Junction” and “Just a Bill” were introduced.
Though Sarratt said the opening night was a success, producing the show was not easy.
“It was a very fast process,” Sarratt said. “It got to be a little bit overwhelming at times because there are so many props that we use for the show. It was a big learning process for me in terms of taking in the material as fast as they were giving it out.”
This was especially challenging since the cast and crew were simultaneously preparing for the second Summer Circle Theatre show that season, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“It was a lot to manage two of them,” Sarratt said. “Finding that balance of devoting your time to each show properly, was hard for me especially. But other than that, it was really rewarding to perform.”
Sarratt said she hopes that it’s nostalgic for the audience and that it brings back that sense of joy.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Trey Gregg, who was there to support his friends in the cast. “It was really cute.”
Gregg is a returning audience member.
Last year he attended the production of “Pippin” and “The Play That Goes Wrong,” which was probably his favorite, he said. “Those were really awesome too.”
This year, he also won $106 in the 50/50 raffle, another Summer Circle Theatre tradition.
Nicoline Bradford
Children in the audience are invited on stage to learn about pronouns during the number, Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla.Beyond entertainment, Summer Circle Theatre provides access to the arts, which is crucial to a rounded education, Clemons said.
Clemons said she’s a huge proponent of STEAM, which adds an “A” to STEM for the arts.
“While STEM education focuses on the logical and analytical aspects of learning, STEAM incorporates the arts, fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills,” Clemons said.
Summer Circle Theatre works to engage people of all ages and promote learning.
“Schoolhouse Rock Live is the perfect example of Combining STEM with the arts by taking traditional learning and putting it to music,” Clemons said. “As someone who struggled to read until I was put in a music class as a child, I will always advocate for arts education.”
“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” ended June 18, but Summer Circle Theatre continued with its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which featured some familiar faces from “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” such as Clemons, who played the fairy queen Titania.
Visit Summer Circle Theatre’s website for more information.
Nicoline Bradford
The audience applauds as the cast of Schoolhouse Rock Live! takes a bow.