'They'll always be with me' – Musical Theatre and Character Development

On the last afternoon of our production of Chicago, I was too busy placing my costumes, organizing speeches for our directors, and putting in hundreds of bobby pins to make my hair look as if I had cut it into a curly bob. I was too busy to take a moment to process the finale. I didn’t have the chance to reflect on the show in front of me; my final musical production as a high school student at Shawnigan Lake School.

 

But it hit me as the curtain was falling over the cast, the cheering crowd standing in front of us, the stage lights fading as the house lights came up. I found myself teary eyed as the cast jumped around and congratulated ourselves one last time. I found myself saying goodbye to Roxie Hart, a character who I had just begun to understand after months of rehearsals and hours of my own time I took to craft her. 

 

It was over. 

 

There wasn’t even a split second of time to process this before I was pulled into hugs and sprinting out to thank friends and family. 

 

Now, I’ve had plenty of time to deliberate every moment of each show and rehearsal, and I find myself continually circling back to Roxie Hart and her impact on me. She has changed me in numerous ways, the role pushing me to step from what was comfortable and test my boundaries. Roxie is a reflection of feminine power and confidence that I hadn’t realized I had inside me. She is a powerful woman who is willing to do anything to pursue her dreams and her desires, and will not let a guilty sentence, or a not guilty one, set her back from her goals. I am honoured to have found her within myself. 

 

Characters are an unsung part of musical theatre. As rehearsals for dancing, singing, and scene work go on, the characters are lines in a script with a vague sentence or two that describe their significance and attitude. The work of constructing a character is individual and personal. I found Roxie in the time I spent staring at the ceiling when I should be asleep, wondering how someone would react to the murder of a lover, or watching a friend being hanged. I formed Roxie from conversations with the strong women around me. I learned about her tendencies and facial expressions with guidance of my directors, and the costumes and props that she handled on stage. Roxie came to life – then suddenly she is no longer.

 

Roxie Hart isn’t the only character I’ve had to figure out then let go of in these past five years. I was lucky enough to be challenged by the role of Uncle Fester in the 2023 production of the Addams Family. I was given the role later than the other leads. I had only December and January to learn my songs, my lines, and my character before the show in early February. Fester was similar to myself: kind and thoughtful, and loyal to a fault. I found him in the large fixed smile that he always had, and his adoring eyes when he looked up to his beloved moon. I like to think that I pulled the role off well, in my bald cap and large false tummy.

 

Another character I've fashioned is the Judge in Legally Blonde, who I found hated bathrooms, and was very disturbed when her pristine courtroom was suddenly turned into one in 2022. 

 

I tested habits like chewing gum or eating Pez candy for the character of Jan in Grease, in 2024, and found that she enjoyed lollipops the best.

 

In Grade 8, I wore heels for the first time as an ensemble member in Mamma Mia!, that changed little Talia into a grown adult who had lived on the Greek islands all her life.

 

I’m talking as if these characters are people, capable of speech and thought. As an actor and a writer, I find that this is the easiest way to make believable, genuine characters come to life. I’ve had to find each character that I’ve played, creating them as if from clay and earth so the story of each production comes to life.

 

I am forever grateful to have played these characters, and to have experienced musicals at Shawnigan. They have brought me joy and wonder, teaching me valuable lessons about myself and that I am capable of anything.

 

As I write these last words, I realize that I don’t have to say goodbye to these characters, these people that have stretched and grown me. Although it’s cheesy, I know they’ll always be with me.