Ric Chesser was getting ready to hold auditions for his latest play at Steamer No. 10 Theater when he ran into Matthew MacArevey.
Chesser asked MacArevey to try out for his production, and MacArevey did, winning a role.
Nine of them, in fact.
MacArevey stars as Prince Charming, the talking mirror and all seven dwarves in Steamer No. 10’s production of Snow White, which runs Nov. 8, 9 and 11 at the playhouse, 500 Western Ave., Albany.
`I didn’t even know what the play was, let alone that I was going to play all seven dwarves,` MacArevey said with a laugh.
MacArevey’s multiple roles are just one of the twists in this production of `Snow White.` Chesser wrote the play intent on keeping true to the Brothers Grimm’s original version, which means that Snow White’s evil stepmother is not her stepmother at all, but her birth mother. And when Snow White is poisoned by the apple, it’s a good smack in the back of the head from a servant that jolts her awake.
Finances, Cress acknowledged, played a part in the decision to have MacArevey play so many parts. But beyond that, Cress made the changes to the script because he was intrigued by the challenge of finding new ways to look at a story and bring it to life — a challenge the actors have embraced.
`It’s this great story that isn’t what people think of,` MacArevey said. `It’s done in a different way. It’s done in a truer way. People will hopefully remember our version.`
MacArevey credits good writing and his fellow actors with enabling him to pull off his assorted roles. More than one dwarf appears on stage at a time; MacArevey distinguishes between them with `plenty of turns.`
`It’s the first time I’ve ever had to change characters on stage,` he said. `It’s a challenge, but I think I’ve grown into it.`
Rebecca Boswell, a veteran Steamer 10 actress, was almost expecting that challenge to be hers. After playing `an old, bald man` in the theater’s production of `Sleeping Beauty,` she didn’t get her hopes up for a glamorous part in `Snow White.`
So she was thrilled when she was tapped to play the title role.
Boswell said she enjoys character roles and pushing the limits. For Snow White, she strived to make her character’s naivetE more endearing instead of annoying.
`We get to have a little fun with her,` Boswell said. `There’s a lot of comedy at her expense.`
That comedy, she believes, will cut across generations, which is important for children’s productions.
`It has to be a good show on two levels,` Boswell said. `You have to entertain the parents, too.`
That was a message Agnes E. Kapusta Skiff tried to convey to her friends when inviting them to the production. Don’t be turned off by the fact `Snow White` is part of Steamer 10’s `Kids’ Fare,` programming, she said: `It’s not just run-of-the mill children’s theater.`
`It’s some meaty, powerful dialogue,` Kapusta Skiff said. `It’s just as strong as a play like ‘Hamlet.’`
Cress, too, said the story has far more depth than a traditional fairy tale.
`With many Disney tales, it’s all about being happy,` he said. `What’s fascinating is this is a real exploration of how people treat each other.`
For MacArevey, `Snow White` is a terrific play with which to make his Steamer 10 debut. A graduate of Columbia High School in East Greenbush, he’s been acting for about 12 years, taking parts in faraway places like North Dakota and London. Many of those parts were small, he said, so it was hard to ask anyone to make the trip to see him on stage.
`It’s great to be able to have people come that haven’t seen me do a show since high school,` he said.
Like MacArevey, Boswell jokes that she is on a `boomerang tour,` returning to the Capital District after acting in Mexico and Hawaii. The Albany High graduate has done some local commercials with SEFCU and the United Way, but said theater is her first love, and Steamer 10 is an ideal place to indulge that love.
`Doing the work here is really cool,` she said. `You get to explore emotions. You get to be silly. It’s really a lot of fun.`
`Snow White` will be presented Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, Nov. 8, 9 and 11 at the playhouse, 500 Western Ave., Albany. Tickets are $12 general admission. For information, call 438-5503.“
