Theatre-goers will have a hard time keeping still in their seats this week with the opening of Footloose at the Chemainus Theatre Festival.
Based on the hit 1984 film of the same name, Footloose tells the story of Ren McCormack, an average teenager with a love of dance who moves from Chicago to the tiny, rural town of Bomont where dancing and rock-and-roll have been made illegal thanks to a conservative and domineering minister. Ren introduces his new friends to the joy of dance and together they rally against the town’s regressive law.
Although a remake of the film came out in 2011, the original film, starring Kevin Bacon, is likely what comes to most minds at the mention of its title.
Barbara Tomasic, the play’s director, said taking on the stage adaptation of an iconic film can sometimes be daunting because audiences already have a specific vision in their minds of what the story is “supposed to” look like.
“You can choose to do something completely different but I find that because it’s so ingrained in people’s minds you have to engage with some aspect of what they know because it relieves them of that comparison,” she said. “I find that for me, as a director, you can’t ignore it.”
“We really did embrace the aesthetic of the original movie. The colours, the feel of the costumes. It’s very timeless that first movie, even though it’s set in the ’80s,” she said, adding that the 2011 remake just wasn’t the same. “People look like movie stars in it… They all look shiny and tanned and their hair is perfect, whereas we’re going for something a little more real, I think. And raw.”
In a show with a name like Footloose, footwork is paramount. Tomasic has been working closely with choreographer Julie Tomaino.
Justin Stadnyk plays Ren and said when he learned he got the part he re-watched the 1984 film once, but otherwise has tried to put Bacon’s portrayal of the character out of his mind.
“[Mine] is a fresh take because there are things that are missing from the musical that are in the movie, and there are new things, there are new character relationships with some of the different people,” he said. “It may have subconsciously been built off Kevin Bacon because it’s hard not to when it’s such an iconic thing, but then absolutely allowing to stray from that and create the Chemainus version of Ren.”
Stadnyk said it’s important to avoid replicating performances from the films because as an actor one tends to stop listening to what the others on stage are saying.
“You’re not actually responding to the person you’re having a scene with and responding in kind, you’re just doing an impression. The audience doesn’t get drawn in because they’re watching a presentation instead of life.”
Kaleigh Gorka co-stars in Footloose as Ariel Moore, the minister’s rebellious daughter and Ren’s love interest. Gorka said she’s doing her best to avoid thinking about the film versions of Ariel and trying to find a truthful voice for the character through the text she’s been given.
“I’m having a wonderful time,” she said, adding that the director and the choreographer make a great team to work under. “They’ve really mixed together what will look good for the audience but also why tells the story in the best way.”
Footloose opens June 10 and runs until Aug. 27.
