by Lexus Bearpaw
A thrilling one-act musical is coming to Oklahoma Baptist University this fall: “Frankenstein.”
The Creature himself recently offered insight into how the production was pieced together — and who the monster is behind the mask. Reese Janik, who plays the Creature, is an English major and theater minor from Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Before coming to OBU, he performed with the homeschool theater group STAGE Productions in shows including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “A Christmas Carol.” At OBU, Janik appeared in “The Masque of Beauty and the Beast” and served as stage manager for “Little Women.”
Whether he prefers acting or production depends on his schedule.
“If I don’t have much else going on, then definitely acting,” Janik said. “But if I already have a lot of classwork and such, then I prefer to stick to production.”
After spending his sophomore and junior years primarily behind the scenes, Janik hoped to earn a role in “Frankenstein.” Still, being cast as the Creature came as a shock.
“Believe it or not, at first I wasn’t a fan of my casting,” Janik said. “I thought I didn’t deserve it and that someone else should have gotten it. It hit like a lightning strike.”
Because Janik had auditioned before and worked with director John Dement for three years, he was not especially nervous about the process. During auditions, Dement assigns excerpts from the production to small groups of students. They receive a few minutes to rehearse before performing the scenes for him.
For musicals, students must also prepare a selection from a Broadway production.
“I sang a portion of ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ and then read a few scenes with my fellow students,” Janik said. “Surprisingly, I never actually read for the Creature.”
Chemistry between performers is an important part of the audition process, but students cannot simply audition for one specific role. Instead, they demonstrate their abilities and trust the director to find the best place for them within the production.
“A director at auditions will know within the first five seconds if he can use you,” Dement often tells students.
OBU’s theater program also offers opportunities for students who cannot commit to a full production.
One is 24-Hour Theatre, an event in which students create and perform original 10-minute plays in just one day.
Janik recalls playing a fake foreign exchange student who sings opera, a killer clown with a giant pair of shears and a sarcastic robot navigator whose true passion is the culinary arts.
“It’s a wild time, and you do not have to stay up all night working on your show, thankfully,” Janik said.
This year’s event began last week in Sarkeys Black Box Theatre.
The event is supported by College Players, OBU’s theater club.
Janik describes the organization as a welcoming community for students who love theater but may not have time to accept the responsibilities of a full cast member.
Club members assist with technical rehearsals, usher performances and support cast members through events such as Treat Night during technical week.
Students who missed fall rush will have another opportunity to join in the spring.
Audiences can see Janik bring the Creature to life in “Frankenstein” at 6 p.m. Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 5-7. Matinee performances will begin at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 and Nov. 8.
Viewers can expect shocking and heartfelt moments — and because this “Frankenstein” is a musical, they will even hear the Creature sing.
“I hope that more of y’all will consider taking an interest in theater,” Janik said. “We lost a lot of our majors and club members last year to graduation, and I’d love to see more new faces around before I graduate.”
Janik said participating in theater may not require as much time as students expect.
“I’m an English major, and I’ve managed — not always efficiently, but managed nonetheless,” he said. “If nothing else, I hope at least to see you at our show this year.”
