Community theater is a natural extension from all the plays we were allowed to do when we were at school. For many of us, theatre is a great way to engage with the world and pour our creative energies and desire to be seen and listened to with the urgent messages we have. So it is with the group of women in "Into the Breeches!"
They may not have the school experience like Madeline Brogan and myself but they find themselves on the Capital Region homefront during World War II anxiously awaiting news of their husbands and challenged by their leader Maggie Dalton (Josephine E. Tracey) to stage Shakespeare's "Henry V" in their husbands’ absence.
The women commune, bond and create art in reaction to the troubled times around them. The play is a celebration of resistance, courage and strength gained by fighting to assert yourself at the most critical time. Like Henry, we are led into battle: "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
I recently had the chance to chat with Brogan about her life and theater and “Into the Breeches!”
Question: What was the first time you were attracted to theater or performance and do you remember why?
Answer: I have been performing for as long as I can remember. I did dance from ages 3-21 at Mary Ann Fortune’s Dance Studio in Mechanicville. My favorite movie of all time is “The Wizard of Oz,” and I would watch it on repeat as a child. My aunt has a home video of me mimicking the scarecrow falling during “If I Only Had A Brain”. I’ve always just loved performing in some way.
Q: You did plays at SUNY Oneonta, how did you feel in that program with the shows, students, and staff you worked with there?
A: My experience in Mask and Hammer (SUNY Oneonta’s theater club) was amazing. I was a part of two shows with them. I auditioned for my first show my first semester on campus and was lucky enough to get cast as Olympe de Gouges in “The Revolutionists.” I had the most amazing time working on that show. Although it was a college show, it felt extremely professional. The director, the crew, the cast, the set, everything was just incredible! The same goes for my second show, “NORDOST.”
Q: Who do you play in “Into the Breeches!” and what do they do?
A: I play June Bennett in “Into the Breeches!” She is a young woman whose husband, Max, is off fighting in World War II. June plays “the Kates” in the show and is very excited to do so.
Q: How do you feel about the number of opportunities for women in theater in the Capital Region?
A: This is actually my first Capital Region production as an adult. I did youth productions as a teenager but this is a brand new thing for me. From what I’ve observed, there are many opportunities for women in theater in the Capital Region and I hope they continue to grow.
Q: What is a play that changed your life and how?
A: In terms of watching a show, it has to be "Wicked." As I mentioned earlier, my favorite movie since I was a child has been The Wizard of Oz. I remember being maybe 6 or 7 years old and going to see "Wicked" at Proctors with my aunt. It was the first big musical production I had ever seen and it changed my life. As for being in a show, it would be “The Breakfast Club.” It was my first show in college and my first “lead” role. I had such an amazing time doing that show and really solidified my love of acting.
Patrick White is a Capital Region theater maker, co-founder of Harbinger, host of "The Play That Changed My Life: podcast who attends 300 plays a year. “With a pair of tickets in my pocket for tonight’s show, how bad can a day be?” Reach him at white.patrick1963@gmail.com.
