Evey Chadwick plays the lead role of Matilda at Stages Theatre Company. (Provided)
Cash Beard plays the supporting role of Tommy in “Matilda the Musical JR.” (Provided)
Two Northeast students landed starring roles in the newest Stages Theatre Company, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, production “Matilda the Musical JR.” Evey Chadwick, a fifth grader at Webster Elementary, performs the lead role of Matilda, while Cash Beard, a fourth grader at Pillsbury Elementary, performs as Tommy, a supporting role and featured ensemble member.
The musical, adapted from Roald Dahl’s book “Matilda,” has many similarities to the original production with a strong theme. Chadwick believes every child can aspire to be like Matilda, saying, “They [children] can stand up for what they believe in and be like Matilda. They can ‘put things right,’ like she does. I think that’s a really important message.”
Both students devoted weeks of rehearsals leading up to the recent April 19 opening night performance. The rehearsal schedule is rigorous, mostly following a full day of school and additionally dominating weekend agendas. But even though the added workload doesn’t allow for much free time, having the opportunity to perform is a passion both actors look forward to every day.
“I’ve never not wanted to go to rehearsal,” Beard said. “It’s normally my favorite part of my day. Just being around a community that has the same interest in me is just amazing.”
For parents of young actors, the back and forth and the thought of the theater rigor may seem like a lot of work, but for Beard’s parents, who are both seasoned performing artists, it’s a way to support their child’s current hopes and dreams of becoming a lifelong actor.
“When Cash started getting interested in theater, I was thrilled,” Carise Rotach, Beard’s mother said. “There’s just something so beautiful about watching your kid fall in love with something, work really hard and be really good at it. When our kid wants to do a performance, we know it’s a grueling schedule. We know it’s a lot of emotional ups and downs, but we were so ready to be all in and just support him.”
Since Stages Theatre Company began theater productions in 1984, accessibility, inclusivity and helping youth develop skills in all areas of theater have been at the forefront of their mission. All productions strive to include everyone by providing sensory-friendly performances, an American Sign Language interpreted performance, several pay-what-you-can dates and an audio-described performance.
Having the opportunity to perform in an inclusive theater setting is important to Chadwick. “If people like doing something like acting, then they should get to do it no matter what their differences are,” they said. “While Matilda would say, ‘If it’s not right, you have to put it right,’ I’m glad that Stages does that. They include all different sorts of people.”
“No matter who you are, you can do what you want to do,” Beard said about inclusivity.
Chadwick has performed with several different theater companies, with productions including “Mary Poppins Jr.” at both the Bluewater Theater and Chaska Valley Theater, and The Children’s Theater’s “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” They hope to someday pursue acting either in the Twin Cities or on Broadway in New York City.
Beard’s additional production experiences include roles in “Newsies Jr.” and “The Wizard of Oz” with Ashland productions, “The Jungle Book,” and “Junie B. Jones.” He hopes someday to pursue either a career in acting and musical theater or become a pilot.
For aspiring young actors, both Chadwick and Beard encourage any youth interested in acting to take a chance, even if it requires auditioning multiple times.
“You just have to remember that even if you don’t get in the first try, you should keep auditioning and keep trying out [at] different places,” Chadwick said.
“Just put yourself out there,” Beard said. “Even if you don’t get in your first show, just keep trying because eventually you will, and you’ll be super excited.”
“Matilda the Musical JR” runs through May 19 with 35 performance options. For more information on tickets visit: https://www.stagestheatre.org/