M T H E M O N TA G E
From Meramec, to Disney and back again Theater professional and former Meramec professor Gary Paben premieres his three year old project at his STLCC home LIVIE HALL MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTOS BY: KAYLA CACCIATORE, GRAPHIC BY: MARISSA DIERCKS Gary Paben’s bucket list had one thing in particular to cross off, and that was to put on a play, three years in the making, at his home stage at STLCC-Meramec. Inspired by a friend who was in a coma, Paben has been working with Theater Professor Michelle Rebollo on the world premiere of his project. Nerves? He has none. “I’m too old to be nervous; I’m 72,” Paben said. “I wanted to complete my first item on my bucket list. And hopefully, people will like it.” The St. Louis native taught theater at Meramec in the 1970s and went on to have a 30 year stint with Disney. Next week, his dream will come true thanks to Meramec students and community members. Rebollo and Paben formerly met in October of 2013. Plays usually have one director, but she is co-directing “1959 Saint Ascension” with Paben, she said. Held
highly in the theater industry, Paben said he thought it would be fun to come back to Meramec to host the show’s first workshop. “This musical is about what takes place in the coma ward of this hospital where we meet the nurse of that coma ward, Reybeau, who is the main character,” Rebollo said. “We kind of live through his journey of interacting with these various coma patients that come into the ward, and that’s really the basis of the story.” Rebollo described three subplots in the musical. One subplot involved a socialite whose adopted son has always craved her attention. “If you can think of a modern day example, it would be kind of like Madonna going off and finding a child from Somalia,” Rebollo said. “This notion of this socialite who has the money and the altruistic tendency to go and do that, but is more concerned with her social life than
her son.” Another subplot has a “washed up magician” who Rebollo described as a “bad Vegas act.” The third story line involves a father in the hospital. Rebollo said she did not want to give too much away because there is a twist involved. The story follows the hospital stay of these patients as well as the struggle their families are going through. “There’s a level of fantasy in this play because anytime Reybeau interacts with these patients, they come to life. They start to wake up,” Rebollo said. “We sense what their past life was like, or how they got into the predicament they’re in, or what they wish they could express, but can’t because they’re in a coma.” 2011 Meramec graduate Brian Rolf said he returned to his alma mater to help in different ways on the play. Graduating from University of Missouri-St. Louis this
year with a theater degree, Rolf said he is excited to be working with Rebollo again. He has never worked on a musical on its first opening and said things are constantly changing as they go. Paben said there have been many rewrites, edits and music changes since work on the play started. He said the students have been great to work with. Through all of the developments, Rolf said he feels really fortunate to have been cast because even with a large group, there are a lot of jobs to be done. “What Meramec is is an opportunity for people in the community to come back and do theater that is of such high quality, that honestly, we’ll take a hit to come and do it,” Rolf said. Rebollo said the cast members had to be “hush hush” about the musical when they received their roles. Cast members and theater personnel, including Rebollo, had to sign a waiver saying they would
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Branch out without leaf-ing Meramec pays its respects to STLCC Controller charged with Seasoned basketball coach steps Nursing Professor Mary Herzog criminal infraction into new position Pages 6-7 Page 3 Page 2 Page 10 Volume 50 Issue 3
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Sept. 25, 2014