BWW Interviews: Inspiration Stage's Mandy Seymore-Sensat Talks URINETOWN

In this interview, I talk to Mandy Seymore-Sensat, Artistic Director of Inspiration Stage, about the company's upcoming production of URINETOWN. The first Inspiration Stage production I witnessed was LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. It was fantastic. I expect no less from URINETOWN. No matter how gross the name is.

BWW: It's taken some time for us to get together. I really wanted to talk to you before opening weekend. How did the first weekend go?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: We are ecstatic and proud of this production of Urinetown: The Musical. We have a stellar cast, crew and live band! It was an amazing opportunity to bring in our guest director and choreographer Blair Bybee from New York. Under his wisdom and guidance, he has produced a top-notch production.

BWW: How would you describe URINETOWN?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: Urinetown is the musical that makes fun of musicals. It's full of genre-bending musical numbers and over the top comic timing. The show centers around everyone's basic need to pee, yet no one likes to talk about it. Urinetown SINGS about it! It is a contradiction in terms: our hero and love interest die, our narrator spoils the story and our ingenue is too late to save the day. It's a show that makes you laugh out loud and then question "Is it okay to laugh at this?"

BWW: Is it difficult for the actors to perform with such a range of musical styles?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: I think that's what makes the show challenging and rewarding. It covers so many musical theatre genres.

BWW: Do you think audiences will have a problem with the ick factor?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: Of course! I have already had so many laugh at the title and ask "Really? Is that the name?"

BWW: How are audiences responding?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: Audiences have been shocked to find the show so funny. [Laughs] When offering a title such as "Urinetown", you hope that patrons will attend and not be put off by the name. Our audiences love coming in to Inspiration Stage's adult shows to see our full production value including stunning tech, difficult choreography, defined characters and a live band.

BWW: Where there any particular challenges to this piece?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: Time. With such difficult and demanding choreography, Blair always wanted and needed more time. Our cast wanted more time. It is chock full of big musical numbers, difficult choreography and haunting harmonies. But our cast rises to the occasion and delivers a heartfelt production.

BWW: Tell me more about Inspiration Stage. It's a very recent company. What need do you think it fulfills in the Houston theatre community?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: I wanted Inspiration Stage to be a safe haven for actors, a home away from home, a place where they could explore their craft. A place to educate, to entertain and to inspire. There is always a need for like-minded theaters in the Houston community who share similar values. It is important for our patrons to see top-quality productions and equally important for our staff, actors and crew to be a part of quality theatre. Theatre is a labor of love. It is a passion. At its best, it is a mirror held up to the audience that reflects joy, pain and truth.

BWW: I think you have a knack for creating professional quality shows with young talent. How do you do it?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: I direct both my youth and adult shows the same way. All actors, young and old, need nurture. They need the safety to explore, they need the permission to create, they need the discipline and focus of a director who cares just as much for them as they do for the process. For me, it is not enough to just create good theatre. I strive to create GREAT theatre. But more importantly, I need to know that my actors have grown in the process, that they have learned from the experience and that their lives have been forever changed.

BWW: You also teach as well, correct? What's the most common advice you give to your theatre students?

Mandy Seymore-Sensat: I have only one rule in the theatre and that is "You are always auditioning." It is posted on the doors to the stage itself. It is the most valuable thing that I hope to teach my students - that in life, and onstage, you are always auditioning. Auditioning for the next role, auditioning for the next job, auditioning for your next love, auditioning for life. I hope to instill in my students a dedication and passion for their craft, but I also hope to inspire my students to be better people.

URINETOWN runs from November 1, 2014 - November 9, 2014. Remaining dates and times:

• Friday November 7, 2014 8:00pm Buy Tickets Now
• Saturday November 8, 2014 8:00pm Buy Tickets Now
• Sunday November 9, 2014 3:00pm Buy Tickets Now

Photos courtesy of Inspiration Stage

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