InterAct Story Theatre is buzzing with excitement, preparing for a run of their acclaimed children’s play The Hero of EVERYTHING preparing to run at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre from September 12th-27th.
Written and directed by Executive & Artistic Director Ali Oliver-Krueger, The Hero of EVERYTHING explores ideas that ring true for superheroes of all ages. Captain Everything, Citytown City’s favorite superhero, loves saving the day and doesn’t need anyone’s help doing it. Who needs a sidekick or a team when you can do everything yourself, and do it just the way it should be? Sure, she has an Amazing Alliance of superheroes and sidekicks, but no one minds if she just handles everything herself, right? Or do they?
The Hero of EVERYTHING is a fresh, fun, and interactive way for kids and families to explore the importance of teamwork and the perils of trying to do everything yourself, all by being part of the action of a superhero play for heroes of all ages. The interactive experience begins before the show, with actors helping the audience to brainstorm new superheroes to include in the play, and continues after the show with opportunities for autographs and photographs with the actors.
A cast of four fabulous actors will bring thirteen characters to life in The Hero of EVERYTHING. DeAndriea Norman, Brittany Martz, Shravan Amin, and Davon Harris are excited and invigorated from the rehearsals so far, and had a lot to say about the process and their characters. “The audition process really interested me because it involved some improv so I had no idea what was going to happen next,” said Davon Harris, who plays Stretch Hamstring and Pizzilla the Pizza Dragon, among others. “I just had to make a choice and stick with it while also having fun.”
As the fun of the rehearsal process forges ahead to opening day on September 12, the actors are getting wrapped up in Citytown City, the setting of the play, and its many surprises. “What surprised me about Captain Everything was her overwhelming need to do everything herself, not understanding how it affects others,” said Deandriea Norman, who plays Captain Everything. “I think that it is a good lesson for everyone. We need help sometimes, it is OK, and asking for help doesn’t make us any less great.”
Sometimes you get to know the characters you’re playing so well that you begin to envy their superpowers. Brittany Martz, who plays Grammar Girl, Virus Iris, Belle Plastique, and others, said, “The character I am most envious of is probably Virus Iris. She’s a computer genius and I can barely update my phone.” This is a sentiment that I am sure more than a couple of our audience members will relate to!
As the show draws near, the actors are beginning to visualize what the performances will look like, which is difficult in a rehearsal room devoid of one major element to the performances: the youthful energy of an audience of kids. When asked what he is most looking forward to about performing the show, Shravan Amin, who plays The Zapper, said, “I am most looking forward to the energy in the room. The play itself is supposed to be really energetic. Add to that the kids, who will laugh (hopefully they laugh), cry, yell, scream, and kick (in a nonviolent way). I want to feel like I just ran a marathon after walking out of the theatre!”
The Hero of EVERYTHING Plays from September 12-27, 2015 at Silver Spring Black Box Theatre – 8641 Colesville Road, in Silver Spring, MD (next to the AFI Silver Theatre). It’s in downtown Silver Spring, and a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro Station on the Red Line. For more information, go to our website.
