Two Hunchbacks for One Notre Dame
The SMC Theater department production of the musical "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is set to open on March 31. This time, two actors will train and rehearse the main part of Quasimodo and alternate shows.
The Santa Monica College (SMC) Theater Arts department is getting ready to stage "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", a musical based on the Victor Hugo novel and featuring songs from the Disney animated feature, with Flamenco dances and alternating Hunchbacks in the show.
Theater instructor and director Perviz Sawoski explained that since COVID-19, all productions have worked more closely with understudies, performers that cover another one in case of sickness or unavailability.
Because the difficult tenor role can cause strain on an actor's voice, Sawoski decided to have two main actors play the Hunchback. Students Elliot Moore and Brayden Handwerger Bolívar have both been cast as Quasimodo.
Moore, a classical voice major, talked about the process of musical theater. "It has been really harmonious, giving great dynamics," he said. "I'm enjoying my time working here."
Moore said "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is about ostracisation and the tragedy of it. "There is this wanting to understand each other. If you come and see this play, you will be completely entertained."
Bolívar, a full-time business student at SMC, has been doing theater for seven years, sometimes professionally.
"It is a beautiful story, very applicable to modern day, general human conditions of bigotry and disliking what you don't understand," Bolívar said. "This is a powerful story that needed to continue to be told."
The actor said that the role is vocally demanding, and also challenging to portray a disabled man in a truthful way.
"I encourage people to be blunt, it is a scary world out there," Bolívar said. "It is good to sit in a chair for two hours and be reminded of what our existence can be like as humans, of the tragedy of it, of the potential joy and potential triumph that can come out of that."
Roma (Gitano as known in Spain) choreographer Cihtli Ocampo co-teaches the performers with Sawoski. Ocampo has been at SMC since 2014 in the Dance department.
"I've been doing Flamenco for over 20 years," she said. The bulk of her training has been mostly in southern Spain, Andalucía, where she performed with Gitano communities.
"This class uses Flamenco as a way for actors to move their body. To hold your upper body and project forward, to be able to understand your special awareness. How you keep your body center in a space while moving around." Ocampo said.
Ocampo describes Flamenco as a blend of Jewish, Moorish, and Southern Spanish culture synthesized and turned into art by the Roma people.
Tayla Sindel, a Physics and Astrophysics major, plays the part of Esmeralda, opposite Quasimodo. It is her first performance in this theater.
"So excited to have a full orchestra, the ensemble is great! It's been really nice, we had the luxury of a longer rehearsal process," Sindel said.
Referring to the musical, Sindel complements that it has all the classic songs of a Disney movie, but darker and more adult.
SMC's production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" will perform at the Theater Arts venue. The musical opens on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Theater Arts main stage. You can find tickets at www.smc.edu/tickets.
