A peek behind the scenes of Rehoboth Summer Children's Theater
The Rehoboth Summer Children's Theatre (RSCT) founders Elise and Steve Seyfried continue to delight young and old alike with their two-actor plays for families each summer in the Delaware resort.
The theater’s 36th season began in June with the production of three timeless classics — “Peter Pan,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Toad’s Escape” this summer.
The mission of the theater is to provide programs of entertainment, enrichment and education for audiences of all ages.
The plays are staged at the Epworth United Methodist Church, 19285 Holland Glade Road in Rehoboth Beach.
The three productions will rotate through Aug. 24. Tickets to all performances are $10 and children under 3 enter free.
Tickets can be purchased at 302-227-6766 or online at www.rehobothchildrenstheatre.org. A complete schedule is on the website.
Managing Director Steve Seyfried talks about the theater's beginning and its continuing appeal.
Can you share a synopsis of your and Elise's background in theater?
Elise Cunningham and I met in Atlanta where we were both active in theater. We were married in 1977 and spent a few years performing in dinner theaters around the southeastern U.S.
We took a job touring in two-actor theater productions for schools, and that brought us to the Philadelphia area. We stayed in Philadelphia and started our own company writing, producing and performing two-actor plays.
The Delaware Division of Libraries booked us on a tour of the state and that’s how we discovered Rehoboth. We found a church (All Saints Episcopal) that would let us use their hall in the summer, and the adventure began.
The children's theater program has been in operation since 1982. What is the driving force that keeps you moving forward after 36 years?
There are so many wonderful parts of this project. We believe that providing theater for young people early on gives them a chance to experience a lifetime of fulfillment in all the arts.
RSCT gave us an opportunity to stretch our own creative muscles, both writing and performing. The theater also has given us a solid base for our own lives as we began as two carefree kids (relatively speaking) and through the years have grown our own family — five children and now two grandchildren.
And, oh yes, spending every summer in Rehoboth Beach has some appeal, as well.
Thirty-six years is a milestone all on its own; however, what other milestones or celebratory moments have you experienced with the theater program?
In addition to RSCT, we continue the original Pennsylvania company, Family Stages, with year-round productions. A while back when we celebrated on 1,000th performance we were featured on a TV news story with Tug McGraw, the former Phillies pitcher who was then a special assignment reporter for Channel 6.
We wrote a bit into the play for him. As huge fan, it was great fun to be on stage with him.
Our biggest theater honor was for a “grown-up” play. We wrote the script and lyrics for a musical titled "Flight," based on the life of American icon Howard Hughes.
We received a Stanley Drama Award in a ceremony in New York City. After a workshop production off Broadway, it unfortunately was not given a full production.
You offer two camps — film and TV and theater to children. Do you have any campers who return years later and visit or help out with the camps?
Yes. Our return rate is quite high and several times we have brought former campers in to help as aides.
Of the campers who return to help, have any of them continued on to pursue theater as a career or lifetime hobby? What is some common feedback from your campers each year?
The most common feedback from the campers is the amount of fun they have while working on a show or film. One former camper who acted in our company for a year has gone on to be a very successful administrator. She is now working as the managing director of Santa Cruz Shakespeare, a professional theater in California.
There are only two of you performing all of the characters in each of the one-hour plays produced throughout the year. This takes a lot of choreography, teamwork and trust. How did you learn how to do this when the pace is very fast?
These days, Elise is on to her second career as a writer and church worker. Now we hire younger actors to do the shows, and I direct.
This year Emily White and Jared Calhoun will handle most of the performing. We have gone through an extensive rehearsal period in Philadelphia preparing for the Delaware season. It’s all about practice, practice, practice!
How do you maintain such a strong stamina?
Mostly it's a matter of staying in general good shape. Also, running through a show multiple times in rehearsal makes a single performance look a bit easier.
What are the most amount of characters each of you portrayed in one play? Is there one character who is more difficult to portray than others and if so, how do you overcome that?
In "The Wizard of Oz," an actress plays Dorothy and I play everyone else. That is probably the busiest show. In "Toad’s Escape," which we are doing this summer, Jared plays Toad and Emily plays everyone else.
One of the characters that has been the most fun to play through the years is the wicked stepsister in "Cinderella." It involves a ton of physical comedy and is totally exhausting.
IF YOU GO
Performances of "Peter Pan," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Toad’s Escape"
When: Days and times vary; check the website
Where: Epworth Methodist Church, 19285 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach
Cost: $10 per person, children ages 3 and under enter free
Contact: 302-227-6766 or www.rehobothchildrenstheatre.org