‘Tarzan’ swings into production at Hale Center Theater Orem
?Andrew Robertson stars in "Tarzan."
Andrew Robertson and Tierney Bent star in “Tarzan.”
David Matthew Smith stars in “Tarzan.”
Malia Mackay and David Matthew Smith star in "Tarzan."
David Matthew Smith and Malia Mackay star in "Tarzan."
Actors often bare themselves emotionally before an audience, but sometimes, as is the case with the new “Tarzan” production at Hale Center Theater Orem, it’s not just emotional.
“I’m just wearing a loin cloth,” said David Matthew Smith, one of the two actors playing the title role. “It’s Tarzan.”
Smith said he enjoys the physical challenge of the role — even if it’s a bit intimidating at times.
“Tarzan is supposed to look a certain way, right?” he said. “It’s a very physically challenging role.”
Andrew Robertson, who is also cast as Tarzan on different days, works night shifts at a local gym, but when he was cast in the role, he found he had another reason to go to his workplace.
“It’s hugely revealing — no pun intended — how you kind of feel about your body image,” Robertson said. “We got cast in the role, and I was like, ‘Oh shoot, I’ve got to start working out again, I’ve got to get in shape,’ because you realize it’s hugely vulnerable to get in front of people like that.
“But I will say, one of the cool things about it is that it’s a little bit liberating in a way, too. There’s not really much you can hide. … You have to let go of caring about it, and once you do that, it’s really easy to kind of give a really grounded performance. I’ve found myself a lot less jittery than in other shows I’ve done, because, you know, it’s all out there already. What can you hide from people when you go out half-naked?”
It was the emotional, rather than physical, nakedness of the character that surprised Smith about the role — or at least, the emotional depth that director David Morgan wanted to push to find.
“For me, the character of Tarzan is me,” Smith said. “I feel like physically and literally I’m putting my heart and self out there on the stage for everyone to see. … I think one of the main themes of (the show) is acceptance, because he’s this different person in this family of gorillas, and he’s different, and some of the apes do accept him, but overall he’s just so different. He just wants to know why and who he is and where he comes from, which isn’t so much me, but I want to be accepted for who I am and not have to change to fit my social environment, and I think that’s a big theme of the show, learning to accept people for who they are.”
To bring the gorilla characters to life, local puppetry and stagecraft expert Nat Reed joined the production to give the team a creative approach to the ape costumes.
“It’s kind of ‘Lion King’-esque,” said Malia Mackay, who is one of the actresses playing Jane. “We’ve got these big head pieces going on for the gorillas, and also a kind of puppet-like arms that they’ve added, so it’s kind of a surreal experience. I think it takes a second to adjust, to kind of accept this reality, but as soon as you do, I think it’s really quite beautiful.”
Smith said that interacting with the ape characters — especially Tarzan’s gorilla mother, Kala — provides one of the emotional anchors of the show.
“Dave Morgan wanted to make it less monkey-esque,” Smith said. “During callbacks and throughout the show, he was constantly saying, ‘You’re not apes, you’re people.’ He wanted to focus more on the relationships and connections, which is what kind of brings the humanity and life into the story.”
And for Smith, scenes involving the relationship between Tarzan and Kala had a personal resonance, because Marcie Jacobsen, who plays Kala in all performances, was Smith’s very first voice teacher.
“Everything that I’ve done, and the talent and skill that I’ve developed, and all the things that I’ve learned, I feel like I can trace back to her,” Smith said. “It makes the relationship a lot more significant and real, so for me, that’s probably one of the highlights of my experience, is being able to play across from her. And that she plays my mom makes it a lot more meaningful.”
Jacobsen taught Smith when he was 14 years old.
“And now he’s like 6-foot-4, and he’s just a wonderful guy, a wonderful voice,” Jacobsen said. “I do have a motherly feeling for him, so it’s great.”
Tierney Bent is also cast as Jane, and said that one of the challenges of the show was balancing audience expectations with finding an authentic character.
“It’s an interesting balance to kind of play with, because you do want to do something new and different while at the same time honoring the legacy of what’s been set up and all the different versions and adaptations of this story that have happened.”
The emotional and relationship elements of the show surprised Roberston as he dug into the script with the other performers.
“Kind of mining the script for some really beautiful relationships, in terms of the mother and son, and this kind of adoptive mother and son, and what it means to be a family, and sort of building that out of the script,” Robertson said, “and seeing things that I never had imagined reading it, but seeing it in the performances … was beautiful. It’s been a really transformative kind of a show.”
TARZAN
What: Musical based on the Disney animated film.
When: Plays Thursday through Aug. 5, nightly (except Sundays) at 7:30, with matinees at various times
Where: Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, Orem
Tickets: $18-$24
Info: (801) 226-8600, haletheater.org