By Kimberly Harper
On March 13, the “Real Housewives” of Ocean State Theatre Company will provide a funny, heartwarming evening of entertainment but while there will be plenty of drama, don’t expect anyone to flip any tables.
The benefit performance, which is expected to run approximately two hours with an intermission, is under the direction of OSTC’s director of educational programming and community outreach Jason Leote, with accompaniment by Lila Kane. It follows four women and three of their spouses though life and relationships with a loose story line tying all the songs together.
The group includes OSTC veteran actresses Stacey Geer (Attleboro, Mass.), Taryn Mallard-Reid (Providence) Jennifer Mischley (Wrentham, Mass.) and Staci Morin (Cranston), along with spouses Greg Geer, Paul Morin and Timothy Reid. All of the women have worked together before, but the friendship between Morin and Mallard-Reid is one that spans almost a decade, as well as community and professional acting circles.
It was 2007 when Mallard-Reid went to Little Compton with her husband to see a friend in a musical revue.
“The dressing rooms were right where you came in and I heard this laughing,” Mallard-Reid remembered, who also recalled Morin’s exemplary performance.
“She played the ingenue…I was like wow, that girl has pipes.” They met after the show and the rest is history.
As they tell the story of those early days, they interrupt and overlap each other in the comfortable way only good friends can. Mallard-Reid invited Morin and husband Paul to a Halloween party, the Morins left a cake on the Reids’ doorstep on Taryn’s birthday. They stayed in touch as the Morins moved to Texas and then New York before returning to Rhode Island this year. But through the years the women never got to share a stage until OSTC’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” this December.
“It was the most fun I had doing a show in a really long time,” Mallard-Reid said, also noting that she and Morin got to share a dressing room.
“I squealed,” she said, laughing at the memory.
“And started singing ‘Everything is Awesome,’” Morin interjected. More laughter.
It sounds like your typical friendship, but such camaraderie can be unusual in the theater world, where the competition can be huge. Morin says the trick is to keep things in perspective.
“This business can be difficult enough as it is,” she said. “What I like to say and remind myself of is that you’re never in direct competition with anybody in this business. You can’t possibly have all the same traits and talents. It’s important to celebrate your uniqueness and your differences. And I think that’s what this [Real Housewives] show does.” Mallard-Reid agreed.
“It’s important to have that sisterhood. I get excited.” Mallard-Reid conceded that everyone is only human and jealousy can sometimes creep in, but, “it’s so awesome to see your friends succeed and do well.”
So how do four strong women – and three husbands, all themselves directors – who have been given a lot of artistic freedom work together to put on a show? The two say a lot of it lies in exploiting everyone’s strengths. The show does not have a lot of choreography, but the stylized movement will be handled in large part by Reid, who is an experienced dancer and choreographer.
“Stacey Geer’s degree in vocal performance is being put to really great use,” Mallard-Reid said. “She’s really helped me when I’ve had a tricky time finding my notes on things….her voice teacher skills have really helped.”
Mischley, who most recently was on stage with OSTC in “The Addams Family,” has some great comedic moments, according to Mallard-Reid and Morin.
“Her comedy is spot on,” Morin said. And the rehearsal process has been fun, generally held at one of the couple’s homes and with plenty of collaboration, food and alcohol thrown into the mix. They’ve chosen solos, duets, and group numbers, playing to each other’s strengths and talents as they’ve worked out roles. And while putting up any show can be stressful at times, Morin and Mallard-Reid are relaxed and excited for March 13.
“It’ll be a really good date night,” Mallard-Reid said.
For the audience and the actors, it would appear.
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The Real Housewives of Ocean State Theatre will be presented at Ocean State Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, on Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 pm. Proceeds will benefit Ocean State Theatre Company’s Annual Fund for Artistic Excellence. All tickets are $29. OSTC 2015-16 Season Subscribers qualify for a $5 discount for each ticket ordered at the box office or over the phone. Call (401) 921-6800 or visit www.oceanstatetheatre.org.
Kimberly Harper is a freelance journalist and copy editor who loves the performing arts. A Connecticut transplant and former full time reporter, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Rhode Island, where she also studied theater. Since moving here she has worked with many community theaters throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
