Einstein Debuts 'Hairspray'

The last dress rehearsal before the debut of "Hairspray" has the family of S.T.A.G.E. theatre department mingling in the hallways, practicing their lines, and most importantly, transforming into their characters by getting in to costume and makeup.

Perhaps the biggest transformation comes from Jason Guerrero, a Junior playing Edna Turnblad. It's tradition to have a male play the role of Tracy Turnblad's mother—Harvey Fierstein and John Travolta have both filled that dress. Surprisingly, this isn't Guerrero's first time playing a woman, but it is the first time he's launched completely into a "full blown woman" with the help of his costume.

"I'm a 54 triple D," Guerrero said with pride of his costume's bra size. He said he needed to get "womanly hips," so he wears two pairs of boxers with padding in between them over tights to make him more shapely.

When asked about how he's enjoyed wearing tights he said, " Surprisingly, I love them! They're like an air conditioner on your skin."

He laughed for a minute then added that his two hour transformation including a woman's chest and hips really helped him get into character.

"The clothes really change how you walk," Guerrero said. "It was easy to pick up the mannerisms of a woman once in costume." 

Joining the ranks of Travolta and Feirstein, Guerrero said he feels really honored to play the role of Edna. However, he didn't draw to much influence from the previous actors.

"An Edna can make or break the show," he said. "I did my own thing, which is working out."

This performance is Guerrero's sixth full-length play at Einstein, and he said that working with senior Emma Sheffer—who plays his daughter Tracy—has been a great experience.

"Ever since I've started [acting at Einstein], she's always been there," Guerrero said. "She's been a big influence."

Sheffer plays Tracy Turnbald, the plump teenager who lives to dance, dreams of starring on "The Corny Collins Show" and has a level of self-confidence that some people find problematic.

"I definitely have a connection with this character," Sheffer said. Sheffer said she loves to dance, and she was overweight in middle school, which has helped her personally connect with the character.

Sheffer said she took a few notes from Nikki Blonsky who played Tracy in the 2007 film. She said she plays a slightly gentler character, and that she's not as large as past actresses who've played the role.

"I didn't try to gain weight," Sheffer said.

She said she didn't think that was the most important part of her role. She focused on making her character relateable. Tracy is a large and boisterous girl, who wants to do what she loves, but also wants to be accepted for who she is.

"Everyone has a little bit of Tracy in them," she said.

"Hairspray" is Sheffer's last show at Einstein, but won't be her last performance ever. She's earned a full ride to Lees McCrae College where she will study theater arts education. But before she embarks on her future journey, her focus is on "Hairspray." She said this experience has been bittersweet: she's sad it's her last, but proud to be a part of it.

"This is the biggest cast," Sheffer said. "I've made new friends and am honored to work with such talented individuals."

In addition to Sheffer and Guerrero, who have both been in a slew of performances at Einstein, is another talented individual that Sheffer mentioned: Nadia Turner. Turner is a junior who portrays Motorboat Maybelle in her first Einstein major role.

Turner had middle school leads, but didn't feel up to par with the talent at Einstein to audition before now.

"High school is a tough place sometimes," Turner said. "I lost confidence seeing all of the talent. I always had it in me, and this role really brought it out."

Motorboat Maybelle is a "very sassy, very confident, loving, bold, black woman who is just waiting to see the world change," according to Turner.

Once Turner developed into her role, the rest came easy for her.

"I had to be this woman who is so independent and didn't care about anyone else," Turner said. "Once I decided to not care, everything came easily."

Turner has taken dance and singing lessons for most of her life, and felt that after she felt confident in herself, it didn't matter what people thought of her moves or her voice and she was really able to capture the essence of Motormouth.

When Turner first joined S.T.A.G.E., she said she felt like an outcast, but the group is such a big family and everyone works together. She credits senior Dakota Ceneta (who plays Link Larkin) for keeping her morale up, and other members of the cast who have been supportive.

"We're such a big family," Turner said. "Now I've gotten so close to [the seniors] it's sad that their leaving. I don't want to think about it," Turner said as she started to cry.

She credits her tears to being over dramatic, but it goes to show how close the cast of "Hairspray" has become after all of the rehearsals and preparations.

Student Publicity Manager Sarah McCully said that "Hairspray" is the biggest and one of the most involved shows Einstein has ever done. Usually the spring musical isn't announced until after the fall play is finished, but because this show was so involved it was announced at the beginning of the year so students could begin fundraising.

McCully, a junior, who also plays Lou Ann and was the understudy for Velma Von Tussle, said that fundraising started early to raise money for the show. "Hairspray," which is one of the school's most expensive performances, according to McCully, has the biggest cast in Einstein history.

"In a school that is so culturally, ethnically, religiously diverse, it's really cool to put on a show that celebrates that," McCully said.

The show includes a 60 person cast (including a pit chorus that sings backstage), a 40 person crew and a 16 person pit orchestra.

"There's a lot of pressure [for this show,]" McCully said, since Einstein is the first school in the county to produce "Hairspray" because the rights were just released this year.

"We're all really proud and really excited for how it turns out."

See Guerrero, Sheffer, Turner, McCully and the rest of the cast at the debut of "Hairspray" on , followed by evening performances on March 12, 18 and 19 and a . Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.

Check back to Kensington Patch on Sunday, March 13, for a photo gallery.