ACT at Holy Cross presents Sweet Charity

By Chet Williamson

At a sectional rehearsal for Sweet Charity, Emily Rast and Matthew Brown are running through the final details of the opening scene. Rast and Brown are actors in the Holy Cross Alternate College Theater (ACT) production of the show that opens this weekend.

Rast plays Charity Hope Valentine. Brown is Charlie, her supposed fiancé, only he hasn't told his wife yet. The scene is a telling one. It establishes the vulnerability and deception that drives this classic '60s musical.

Adapted from the Federico Fellini film Nights of Cabiria, Sweet Charity was written by Neil Simon with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. With original choreography from Bob Fosse, the musical was a Broadway smash, winning 12 Tony nominations in its opening run in 1966. 

Cooper Gardner and Emily Rast.

Although not as dark and tragic as the film, the play does reveal Charity's many lost loves and current marred relationships — including one to a married man, another to an Italian movie star. All the while, Charity receives welcomed and unwarranted advice from her "taxi-dancer" co-workers at the Fan-Dango Ballroom.

Through it all, the question remains: Will she ever find true love?

ACT is a student-run organization at Holy Cross. Each production is managed by them, from directing and acting to lighting and set design. For Sweet Charity, recent graduate Eric Butler has been enlisted for direction.

Molly Bier, Emily Rast and Katie Lydic.

Back to rehearsal. While Rast and Brown fine-tune their lines, director Butler watches intently. He coaches when appropriate, offering a line of direction here, suggesting blocking there. Otherwise, he allows the young actors to find their way through the scene.

On appearances alone, Rast is perfect for the part. She has strawberry-blonde hair with shiny eyes and projects the sunny optimism that is essential for the part.

The role also requires her to be a triple-threat with skills in acting, dancing and singing. At HC, she is a junior with a double major in theatre and economics. She says Charity is "one of those roles that is literally a lifetime role. It's one of those things you just always hope to do, because it is so encompassing."

As the opening scene develops, Charity misreads Charlie. She is as radiant as he is sullen. Trying to snap him out of his mood, she sings, "You Should See Yourself." To show him just how head-over-high-heels in love she is, Charity passionately kisses him. He remains unmoved. With stars in her eyes, she peers down into a lake and wonders aloud if she should toss something into the water for good luck. Charlie physically agrees by pushing Charity in. He also steals her purse and runs off.

Standing off stage, Butler measures the timing of the actors' lines and says, "I think we should work on that kiss. We also need to get the tempo down. There are points where you need to be a bit more aggressive." As the rest of the cast filters in, he tells Rast and Brown to take five.

The ACT production features a cast of more than 20 actors and a live band that will be in costume and on stage as part of the show. Although the production is sexually suggestive — especially during the show-stopper "Big Spender" — Butler assures that Charity is suitable for all audiences.

In his director's notes, he states that in 1966, Sweet Charity was an innovative musical comedy with a contemporary setting and a first-rate score. He also says that he recently interviewed Tony award-winning director Walter Bobbie and asked him why he thought Charity continues to be an endearing character.

"Charity is not stupid; she is naïve," Bobbie answers. "She is not dumb; she is undereducated. She loves people and it's her abundant trust and hope that gets her into so much romantic trouble and makes us care for her."

Picking up on Bobbie's sentiment, Butler says, "While we may sympathize with Charity for her follies and admire her for her resiliency, we must ultimately identify with her as an individual who simply wants to be loved."

The ACT production closes on Super Bowl Sunday. You've got to love it. o