For some audience members, the most powerful part of USD Theatre’s production of Godspell wasn’t a single song or scene, it was the accessibility. From a sensory-friendly matinee to live ASL interpretation, the performances reflected an inclusive space for everyone.
Godspell was performed in the Wayne S. Knutson Theatre on Feb. 19-22. The musical consists of a series of small, interconnected skits in which the actors act out different parables from the Gospel of Matthew. This all leads up to the crucifixion of Jesus.
The song “Day by Day” in Godspell is frequently performed with American Sign Language. Junior musical theater major Summer Sloan performs the song and had to learn ASL to prepare for the role.
“When I was younger, I had an obsession with sign language for some reason, so I got a really big book and I taught myself the alphabet,” Sloan said. “Then Syara [Villarreal] told me before we even started rehearsals that I would actually be doing sign language for the show. I was like, how’s that going to work?”
ASL Coordinators Achilles Anderson and Weston Pike taught the cast the signs for “Day by Day,” and then had Sloan come in for individual lessons. To keep track of the different signs, they made a Google Drive folder with all sorts of pictures of the signs. This allowed Sloan to pick up more phrases, which she uses at different points in the show.
“It’s been really fun,” Sloan said. “It’s been really amazing and I hope it sticks with me, all these words I’ve learned.”
The show’s Saturday matinee was a sensory-friendly performance and was ASL interpreted. This meant that the lights were up and sounds were lowered, which allowed audience members to move freely about and exit the theatre if they needed to.
Zach Hupp is a sophomore musical theater major and plays Judas and John the Baptist. For him, the cast has created a sense of community and connection with one another. His favorite memory comes from one of their first rehearsals.
“At the end of the day, our wonderful Director, Syara Villarreal, brought out a ball of yarn and had us all hold a section of it while standing in a circle,” Hupp said. “She then went around and told us to imbue our section with a specific word or idea that we wanted from this show. Then she cut the string and told us how by keeping the string on us, even outside of rehearsals, we carry the energy from the show with us in our day to day lives.”
While the show does focus on the story of Jesus, junior musical theatre major Jag Weyer believes that the messages of the show are universally important.
“There’s a lot of just important messages in how to treat other people and being kind to one another and sharing spaces with one another,” Weyer said. “It’s important to tell this story because it is a story about community and ensemble and just really building up each other so that we can leave the world a better place, regardless of our experiences or what happens in our lives.”
While Godspell performances are over, the Theatre Department’s next shows are the Ron L. Moyer One-Act Plays on March 27-29, and Pride and Prejudice on April 17-26.
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