[ Golden Gater Online - October 23, 1997 ]
Erwin D. David
Staff writer
When SF State alumna Nicol Foster removed her robe, everyone in the audience knew what was going to happen next.
A sold-out crowd applauded in wild anticipation when she revealed the familiar outfit -- bell bottoms, blue, long-sleeved T-shirt with a huge white star and a matching red cape -- from "Sufferin Till Suffrage," a catchy little number about women's right to vote. The song was just one of the 21 nostalgic tunes featured in "Schoolhouse Rock Live!," a musical based on the educational cartoon series, which aired in on ABC between cartoons and Syd and Marty Kroft shows on Saturday mornings in the 1970s.
A 90-minute theatrical version of the pop culture institution is now playing at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco. Any Generation Xer worth the milk in their Cocoa Puffs will revel in nostalgic delight when they see the unforgettable characters, (My Hero Zero and Interplanet Janet, to name a couple), brought to life in this fast-paced stage production.
Over the course of 90 minutes (and various set and costume changes), a six-member Bay Area cast (three women and three men) sing, dance and act their way through highly choreographed sing-along lessons in grammar, history, and even physics.
Two SF State students -- one past, one present -- play big parts in the production. Foster, who plays Dina, graduated from SF State in 1993 with a major in broadcasting and a minor in theater arts. Chela Jane Cadwell, meanwhile, is pursuing her master's degree in theater arts research at SF State and has an equally important role as stage manager.
After graduation, Foster worked in the theater and broadcast industries. She starred alongside Della Reese in a local TheatreWorks production of "Josephine," and worked as an administrative assistant for CBS in Los Angeles.
"It was fun because I was able to apply everything I learned at State at those jobs," said Foster, who now lives in West Oakland where she was born and raised.
When she saw an advertisement for auditions for "Schoolhouse" in Call Board, a theater trade magazine, Foster, who already knew most of the songs from her childhood, knew she had to try out.
"Oh my gosh! I have to do that!" Foster recalls saying after seeing the ad. "While I was doing my cover letter, I was praying, 'God please let me just get the audition'."
Her prayers were answered as she was among the six who were chosen out of a group of 200.
Although cast members prepared for their roles in a short amount of time, Foster claims she felt relaxed on opening night, despite performing in front of her fiancee, her sister, her friends, and, worst of all, theater critics.
She attributes this in large part to the relationship she has developed with the other cast members and the family atmosphere that surrounds the production.
"In the six to eight weeks we've spent together, we've formed a cohesive group," said Foster. "I'm really having a ball. It's very gratifying."
Although her resume is impressive, and "Schoolhouse" is already a hit, Foster's advice to aspiring actors is to continue to work hard and not set themselves up for letdown by setting their sights on the wrong desires.
"You have to love performing first," said Foster. "Just because you perform does not mean fame and fortune will follow."
Like Foster, Cadwell also answered the Call Board after learning Guggenheim Productions, the producers of the show, were looking for a stage manager.
The stage manager is the director's right-hand person. When the show goes up, the stage manager "calls the show," which means sitting in the lighting booth and controlling the technical aspects. Cadwell is in constant communication with the lighting board operator and the sound operator.
"My first passion is directing theater and I do love stage managing because it is sort of the next step," said Cadwell. "Once the show goes up, stage managers take the place of the director."
Cadwell acquired her undergraduate degree in theater history from Reed College in Portland, Ore. in 1988. She moved to San Francisco and started volunteering in theater and by 1989, she was working as a professional stage manager. Because she was working steadily in theater, Cadwell decided to pursue a master's degree only last year. Although she knows it "sounds kind of nerdy," she wanted to go back because she loves school.
"Schoolhouse is the biggest show I've ever run," said Cadwell, "and it is extremely gratifying and extremely well-run. It's been a very positive experience since the beginning."
Schoolhouse Rock Live! is playing at the Alcazar Theatre located at 650 Geary St., three blocks west of Union Square between Jones and Leavenworth in San Francisco. Ticket prices are $18 for students on Wednesday and Thursdays, $23 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Group discounts are available. For more information call the theater box office at (415) 441-4042 Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
[ Golden Gater - October 23, 1997 ]