For director James Villarrubia and the First Year Players, Footloose is more than a chance to let loose. While FYP’s selection of the 1984 film and corresponding Broadway remake in 1998 presents audiences with a lighter, more relatable show, the cast and crew want to emphasize the darker, more complex elements of the story’s coming-of-age plot.
“We’ve definitely done some serious shows in the past — Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, so the dancing and singing will lighten it up,” graduate student Villarrubia said. “But with that, some of the darker elements are lost.”
The night of the technical rehearsal, buzz saws fly, mikes are tested and retested and costumes cover an entire side of the Student Activity Building. As tech producers bustle about and actors leap about testing a dance move or practicing a line, Villarrubia explains the show’s vibe while cautiously sanding a set piece.
“It suits well for a cast of 18-year-olds, a coming-of-age cast that could get a lot out of it, relate to it, get a good feel for it,” Villarrubia said. “Parts of it are darker, more meaningful, and this is a good organization to bring out the more emotional elements.”
While the original film and subsequent Broadway version contained similar songs and dance numbers, a 2005 remake of the musical edited out some of the original’s darker textual elements, mixing in more contemporary music. For FYP, a focus on the acting and relationships between the characters became a greater focus than the musical numbers. During the first weeks of rehearsal, Villarrubia set up acting workshops, emphasizing the importance of creating a unique take on one’s character to the 26-member cast.
“I’ve had to work a lot harder,” first-year Engineering student Wayne Dell said. As Ren McCormack — Kevin Bacon’s epic role — Dell used his theater background to put his own twist on the play’s main character. “There’s been a lot of things I’ve had to work really hard on, but I love the show because it is so high-energy and the cast really delivers.”
“It’s not all fun and dancing,” Dell said. “There’s a huge emotional plot to the play.”
An emphasis on an energetic performance is echoed throughout the entire cast and crew. While this is the first performance at the collegiate level for the majority of FYP’s members — in FYP, the actors and the stage managers are exclusively first-year students — the professionalism and talent is balanced with the cast’s raw energy and excitement.
“At first I was like, ‘Oh, Footloose,’” said first-year Jason Carpenter, who plays a witty and feisty Reverend Shaw Moore. “But now I’m like, ‘Ahh, Footloose!’ I’ve never played someone this old before — it’s a big adventure.”
Along with creating a plot-driven performance, the technical aspect of the play has allowed FYP to produce one of its most cohesive and creative sets yet.
“The director has a view for the set that called for the blending of city and country,” costumer Erin Moran said. “The set pieces are really good and we’ve had luck with the carpenter to get pieces that look really professional.”
Ultimately, FYP’s adaptation of Footloose melds the coming-of-age melodrama with uplifting dance and introspective character development. As an ensemble, FYP has developed a personality and sophistication well beyond its combined years.
“We went in with one vision and a lot of the cast took the first few weeks of acting workshops to heart,” Villarrubia said. “It’s not all my vision now — the cast put a lot of little elements into their characters than in the past.”
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