Director: ‘Oliver Twist’ Themes Resonate Today

It has been nearly two centuries since Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” was published and 56 years since the Oscar-winning film musical “Oliver!” was released. The Academy of Performing Arts will bring “Oliver!” to its stage in Orleans Nov. 7 to 24.

“Oliver!” director Jen Kangas says she’s retelling Dickens’ story because his writing is timeless.

“Dickens’ themes of poverty, social injustice, and search for love are as relevant today as [they were] in Victorian London,” she said. 

 Q: What drew you to tell Oliver’s story? 

 A: I was eight years old when I saw the film “Oliver!” and I fell in love immediately. The story, the songs, the characters, the dancing! It was the first album I ever asked my mother to buy. When I saw a red velvet dress at a thrift store, I begged her to buy the “Nancy Dress.” She did — but said I couldn’t wear it out of the house — not realizing it was ‘risqué’! My bedroom became a stage, my stuffed animals were various characters, and my love for musical theater was born. During the last several years the Academy Playhouse has been fortunate to have talented children grace the stage, and they inspired me to pursue this vision of “Oliver!”

 Q: What was your vision for this production of "Oliver!" and how does it differ from previous adaptations?

 A: I want to portray the era realistically and not shy away from the story's darker side. I have seen the character Fagin played for comic relief, but I want to show him as he was originally written. He is a morally ambiguous villain. He shows some kindness to his “gang,” but it is transactional. Fagin only shelters them because they pick pockets for him. This adaptation has a lot of contrast between cold harshness and the warmth of hope. I also want to show the various classes of the Victorian age — the workers, upper class, and the poor — and young Oliver seeing everything for the first time. This show will be different due to the Academy Playhouse’s arena theater. The actors are sometimes inches away from the audience. The actors also don’t use microphones; that intimacy can create a memorable experience for the audience.

 Q: How did you approach the casting process? What qualities were you looking for in the actors, particularly for the role of Oliver?

 A: I had specific ideas about what I was looking for in all the characters. For Oliver, I wanted to be sure they would be mature enough to handle the part. Oliver’s audition song was “Where is Love,” and I gave a specific direction before each of them started: “You have just been sold to some mean people, and they have locked you in a basement with a bunch of coffins and dead bodies. And you are looking out a little window in the hope that maybe, just maybe, you can find your mom, who you so desperately need. So, look up at that balcony and imagine you can see a little light and a little hope.” I cried more than once during the auditions.

 Q: Can you tell us about the set design? How does it enhance the story and create the atmosphere of Victorian London?

 A: I am very fortunate to have Mark Roderick design and build the set, along with Nicholas Dorr. I have talked to Mark for over a year about how I wanted the show. It can be a very challenging theater to design for because of space limitations. I needed a bridge, a large workhouse, a thieves’ den with a fireplace, the funeral parlor, the “three cripples bar,” the town market, Mr. Brownlow’s fancy house — that is a lot! I can’t even begin to tell you how Mark did it. Mark made the set work, and I love it.

 Q: How do you integrate the musical elements with the choreography to create a cohesive performance?

 A: Missy Potash and Sydney Peterson are my choreographers. They have a Herculean task of bringing the musical numbers to life. Each song has a mood. Missy has done an excellent job incorporating similar moves throughout the show that tie everything together. The movements she has them doing are not the typical “we’re in a big musical” [type]. Sydney choreographed the Orphans’ songs and set the mood for the whole show with the large ensemble.

 Q: What themes in "Oliver!" are most relevant today, and how do you emphasize these themes in your production?

 A: One theme is community. The audience can see how these groups of people care for one another and the skills that can be used to help those around them. I am hoping that the audience will be able to see themselves in some of these characters, and perhaps see life from a different perspective.

 Q: What have been the biggest challenges in directing this play, and how have you overcome them?

 A: This is a large-scale production — over 50 people, with cast and crew. The biggest challenge has been organizing rehearsals around that many schedules! My stage manager, Ann Carpenter, had the schedule on a shared drive that everyone could access. She would send out a weekly email with the updated schedule. We did things in pieces, so not everyone was called every day.

 Q: What do you hope the audience will take away from this performance?

 A: I hope they can be immersed in a different time and place and go through a range of emotions as the cast tells their story. And leave the theater thinking about ways we can care for one another in our community. 

 Q: Are there any future projects or plays you're excited to work on after "Oliver!"?

 A: I am music director for “Into the Woods, Jr.” next February at APA. We have just started rehearsing, and the kids sound great already. Next October I will be directing “Dark Tales on a Cold Autumn Eve” as part of the Black Box series at the Academy Playhouse. It is written by local playwright Jim Dalglish. I saw it several years ago at Cotuit, and it quickly became one of my favorite plays.

For more information on the production of “Oliver!” and to purchase tickets, visit academyplayhouse.org.