Camelot Theatre Company’s musical “Jekyll & Hyde” opens this week and features exquisite choreography by Renee Hewitt. An exceptional actress, dancer and singer, Hewitt has played numerous iconic roles throughout her career. We met in the Excalibur Room at the Camelot.
EH: Why have you spent your life in theater?
RH: It’s my passion. That’s the only way I can explain it. If I were to have to live without it, I don’t know what I would do. It’s how I express my soul; it’s how I express the deepest parts of me. I’m finding out now, that not only can I do that by being on stage, I can actually do that through choreography. I’m more anxious, more nervous, and more excited about this opening than I am when I’m a performer.
For several years, ACT’s Moonlighting Series has been inviting local playwrights to submit their best work for staged readings. The seven short plays on deck are:
“The Last Dodo and the Last Wooly Mammoth,” by Dori Appel, in which a pre-historic couple faces a cruel reality.
“Albert Einstein’s Brain,” by Ron Burch, explores of the dangers of online bidding.
“Motherhood” by Archie Koenig, examines the effects of GMO on our children.
“Here to Serve You,” by Barbara Lindsay, takes a farcical look at airport security.
“Tigers in the Entry,” by Diane Nichols, explores the power interior designers have over their clients.
“Doggies,” by Bob Valine, finds a couple howling in the bedroom.
“Invisible,” by Lyda Woods, discovers a fetid way to escape middle age.
Daniel Stephens plays Poole in “Jekyll and Hyde,” the provocative musical opening June 21 at Camelot Theatre in Talent. A freelance choreographer and teacher, Stephens is equipped with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and a master’s in dance. Until 1997, he spent nine seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as a dancer, choreographer and actor. Stephens has performed in 10 shows at Camelot.
EH: What is the difference in performing in the old Camelot Theatre building versus the new facility?
DS: I think the main difference is that you don’t have to go outside the building to get to the other side of the stage. One winter, we did “Brigadoon” and I was running between scenes, in the snow, in soft shoes and a kilt.
Ashland Theatre 