by Luke Maynus. @luke.maynus
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A technical marvel will soon be coming to the stage for audiences of the Poughkeepsie Playhouse, as one crafty local director has utilized their decaying theatre’s infrastructure for artistic purposes, promising to make it rain during an upcoming production of Shrek the Musical JR.
“One man’s big leak is another man’s big break!” said Poughkeepsie Playhouse director Dave Gollings, purposely mispronouncing the word "break" to clumsily rhyme with the word "leak". “Rain on stage is the hottest thing on Broadway right now! The Notebook, The Outsiders, a third one probably - and soon, our production of Shrek the Musical JR.!”
Josh Bernardo, a frequent performer at the Poughkeepsie Playhouse, and the actor portraying Shrek in the upcoming production, voiced a different perspective on the rain.
“I don’t understand why he won’t pay to get it fixed. Is it an insurance scheme thing or are tickets just selling really badly?” questioned Bernardo, one hand holding an umbrella, the other holding green face paint. “I guess the mold that comes with it does evoke the musk of Shrek’s swamp, which helps me get into character.”
Allison Gollings, Poughkeepsie Playhouse’s resident choreographer and wife of director Dave Gollings, shared in her husband’s enthusiasm for making the most out of a bad situation.
“Funding for the arts is hard! I think these kids should feel privileged that they get the chance to perform at a place which values innovation,” emphasized Gollings, exchanging an overflowing bucket full of dirty leak water with an empty one. “Besides, it’s a lot better than last summer when Dave refused to pay for AC during our production of In The Heights.”
Despite health and safety concerns, Poughkeepsie Playhouse’s Shrek the Musical Jr. is still running through the end of the month - though if you’re planning to see it, sources say make sure you use the bathroom prior to arriving. The plumbing in the theatre is expected to be out of order until after next spring’s production of Urinetown.
It’s great to see them pushing boundaries with limited resources. Theatre is all about creativity, and it sounds like they’re making the most of what they have geometry dash!
Allison Gollings, the resident dordle choreographer at Poughkeepsie Playhouse and the spouse of director Dave Gollings, exhibited a similar level of zeal as her husband in the pursuit of maximizing opportunities within challenging circumstances.