Interview: Director Kenn McLaughlin Talks Stages Repertory Theatre Original, PANTO SNOW QUEEN: UNFROZEN

This winter season, Stages Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere of PANTO SNOW QUEEN: UNFROZEN by Jodi Bobrovsky, Rutherford Cravens, and Josh Morrison.

PANTO SNOW QUEEN is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's THE SNOW QUEEN. In the Stages reimagining, the evil Snow Queen steals sweet Gerta's dearest friend, Bean. And Gerta won't stand for it. If the Snow Queen does not return Bean, Gerta will look for her, she will find her, and she will kill her. All while fighting global warming.

But have no fear parents. Despite my TAKEN reference, PANTO SNOW QUEEN is a British pantomime and, thusly, wishes kids from 1 to 92 a merry Chrismas or, as the Brits say, a happy Christmas. (Sorry 93 year olds.) Families (of all types) come to the theatre to enjoy (and play along with) the panto's song, dance, and comedy (topical references-for the adults-and slapstick-for the children and the adults.

BroadwayWorld talks to PANTO SNOW QUEEN: UNFROZEN director and Stages Repertory Theatre, Kenn McLaughlin, about all of the above.

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What are the joys and challenges of directing this piece?

Kenn McLaughlin: The joys all come from the cast who are creating these people for the first time. This show is a world premiere brought to life without a workshop and full development process so we get to live the trial and error on our feet. The actors are very daring and really funny and keep throwing a lot into the room. I always laugh a great deal working on a panto.

The challenges come from the same issue mentioned above-world premiere productions are filled with a host of unknowns-what works, what needs to be edited, what characters are developed enough and which aren't and on and on. Things are constantly changing to clarify and deepen the story so it requires a very agile team in every aspect willing to throw out whole scenes and songs or, even harder, to change three or four words in a sentence and keep it all on track. It can be stressful on everyone for sure. And things are changing always-so what the play actually is isn't clear from the start. It is an entirely different way of working.

How does being an artistic director, an actor, and a director have an effect on your approach to staging and directing the play?

Kenn McLaughlin: First-what a great question! I think my actor brain dominates my directing. I think like an actor thinks and so my vocabulary is geared to the revealing action and psychology of each moment through the life of the people on stage. Every actor works differently so understanding how actors think overall helps keep things focused. But the reason I stopped acting is that I was so interested in how all the pieces work (I'm a multi-tasker from day one), so the director's task to keep a lot of balls in the air suits my personality better.

The artistic director side of what I do is mostly in play when I am putting together the production team which happens almost a year in advance. I let go of that side of things once that is done and when I am directing and rely on the artistic staff, so I can shift to directing mode. It is a dance between personas for sure, which brings me back to the actor side of me. Acting is the dance I was trained for, and thus the one I most apply in my directing work!

What has been your approach to directing the Panto?

Kenn McLaughlin: Freedom and exploration. I encourage everyone to try new things. Pantos are zany and highly theatrical. They call upon the artists to be very, very rooted in the craft of the theatre and, at the same time, they call for imaginative leaps. I always remind casts to find the child inside of themselves, to play everything from a sense of true wonder, and to remember that they are playing it all to the child inside of everyone in the audience, no matter what the age.

To me, it is about a level of innocence in performance that is rare and inspirational, because anything could happen! One of the funniest scenes in the whole piece was built on a very silly thing an actor did during rehearsal. Her sense of abandon allowed for something really great to develop.

How can audiences expect to be delighted by PANTO SNOW QUEEN: UNFROZEN?

Kenn McLaughlin: As has become tradition for Stages, the design of the whole piece is magical. There are surprises all over the place that will delight everyone. Plus, I think the piece has an amazing heart. The original story is about two young people who learn the value of their lifelong friendship and figure out how to stand up for that value in the face of evil. I think it has a lot to say in a modern context about fear, courage, and self-discovery for kids and adults, too.

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PANTO SNOW QUEEN: UNFROZEN by Jodi Bobrovsky, Rutherford Cravens and Josh Morrison. Dec. 3 - Jan 3. Wed, Thur and Fri, 7pm. Sat, 2 pm and 7 pm. Sun at 3 pm. Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway. $23 - $74. 713-527-0123. stagestheatre.com. Runtime: 2 hrs (approx.) with one intermission. Ages 3 and up.

Director: Kenn McLaughlin. Assistant Director: Chelsea Ryan McCurdy; Choreographer: Kristin Warren; Musical Director: Steven Jones. Starring Genevieve Allenbury, Kay Allmand, Shelby Bray, Rutherford Cravens, Calvin Hudson, Chase McCurdy, Ryan Schabach, Christina Stroup, Mason Butler**, Nick Cuellar**, Stoo Gogo**, Kiley Pearson**, Catherine Pope**, and Zachary J. Willis.** Scenic and Properties Design: Jodi Bobrovsky; Lighting Design: J. Mitchell Cronin; Costume Design: Tiffani Fuller; and Sound Design: Yezminne Zepeda.

**Denotes Sam Houston State University Performance Internship. Since 2008, through the internship, Stages' has provided Sam Houston students with invaluable professional experience along with their college credit.

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