Aree Tomes

After scoring a lead role in the upcoming production of “Suessical,” junior Aree Tomes learns to balance school with her busy rehearsal schedule. “It’s a lot of work, but it all pays off,”

Tomes said. (Photo by Natalie Sopyla)

18LE JOURNAL ISSUE 3

Hats off to Tomes

Junior Aree Tomes takes on the lead role as the Cat in the Hat in the upcoming musical production of “Seussical.”

BY NATALIE SOPYLA REPORTER

All their lives, actors wait for this moment. Hours spent at the piano, learning the notes, belting out the lyrics over and over. Nights spent in front of the mirror, singing and smiling, turning on the charm for their reflections, an audience of one.

All of this preparation and hard work all leads up to one thing: the audition. The dreaded “A” word in theater. It’s the only chance performers have to show what they’ve got, to prove that they are what the directors are looking for. They want this. They’re ready.

For junior Aree Tomes, this was not the case when she auditioned for Sion’s production of “Seussical: The Musical.” Tomes was not ready for her audition. In fact, she wasn’t even planning on auditioning at all. Nervous about entering into a commitment that she knew would take up a lot of time, on top of her junior year course load, Tomes called her mother.

On the other side of the line, Tomes’ mother, Kenda, was shocked when she heard her daughter would not be auditioning. From a young age, Tomes had been participating in all types of performance art from acrobatics to theater, and hearing that her daughter was giving up something that she loved disappointed her. Yet she also understood Tomes’ nervousness.

“Aree loves people, but does not want to make a mistake,” Kenda said. “Acting means taking a lot of risks. To do it takes a lot of confidence. So we have tried to be supportive when Aree has put herself out there."

Not knowing what to expect, Tomes nervously entered the music room to perform her audition song, “Put on a Happy Face” from the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” for the judges. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her audition went better than she had expected; good enough to land her a callback, and later, to her surprise, the role of The Cat in the Hat. She had earned herself the lead role.

The day the cast list came out, Tomes was hanging out in English teacher Melissa Wilcox’s room. All of a sudden, she heard shrieks and screaming coming from the auditorium down the hall. When Tomes went to investigate, she found junior Olivia Neal and senior Lena Kincaid huddled outside the music room.

“I just started walking down the hall and everyone rushed towards me. They were all frantically talking so I didn’t know what they were saying,” Tomes said. “And then they just said ‘Congratulations on getting Cat in the Hat.’”

Tomes credits her mother for giving her the motivation to go through with the audition because if she hadn’t, she would not have gotten the lead, or any role at all.

“She just was really encouraging and reminded me of how much I loved performing,” Tomes said. “This motivated me to go for it.”

Director Elizabeth Mulkey says that she chose Tomes for the role because she displayed a certain ironic quality in her audition that was very much catlike and fit the personality of the role of the Cat in the Hat.

“[The Cat] has to be playful and kind of mean, but not really,” Mulkey said. “She’s an oxymoron in a way, and [Aree] really showed us that in her audition.”

Tomes knew that having a lead role would mean a lot of work for the next few months, rehearsing almost every day. This was soon proven when the first rehearsal rolled around. With extra lines to memorize, more solos to learn as well as chorus parts, Tomes found herself struggling with the task of memorizing so many things. It’s no wonder, Tomes began to feel the pressure. Mulkey herself often notices the effects that this has on Tomes.

“When she doesn’t know a song, she’s a little unsure at first, and [is] kind of timid and struggles with trying new things,” Mulkey said. “But then once she really understands a scene, she’s right on, and can really let go.”

Yet senior Anna Redmond, who plays Jojo, praises Tomes for her hard work and preparedness for each rehearsal.

“She knows a lot more of her lines than I do and is very prepared,” Redmond said.

At the end of the day, the more lighthearted moments are the ones that really matter to Tomes.

Within the whimsical setting of the Jungle of Nool, Tomes enjoys the random moments when she is able to let loose, both in and out of character. The smaller size of the cast makes it easy to establish a certain camaraderie, and this tightly knit bond is one of the things that Tomes enjoys the most.

“[My favorite part of the rehearsal process] is just dancing and messing around,” Tomes said. “We take it seriously, but then there’s those little moments where we can just let loose and add some of our own character to the role we’re playing.”

It is the strong social connections that Tomes has been able to form that has been another important advantage of being a lead.

“You get to be more interactive with other people in the cast,” Tomes said. “You make new friends since you are all working hard and you’re all in the same position.”

Tomes’ outgoing nature and ability to submerge herself in a character are the traits that ultimately led her to this role. Her passion and excitement for rehearsals motivate others to do their best,” Neal said, who plays Mayzie.

“Aree’s always loud and excited and really gets pumped about everything,” said Neal. “She’s always trying new moves and gets us into the groove of being in character.”

For Tomes, having a big personality means that she has a natural inclination towards performing. Her love and appreciation for acting, dancing, singing and theater is what she constantly gravitates towards.

“Theater and performances are just something that puts all of [these] things together,” Tomes said. “It’s a perfect combination.” LE JOURNAL ISSUE 319