Play gets local flavor
Kent-Trumbull Summer Stock stages Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’

Staff photo / Andy Gray From left, Demitri McMinn, Keith Stepanic and Paul Dahman play Johnny, Tunny and Will, respectively, in Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre Summer Stock’s production of “American Idiot.”

The musical “American Idiot” opens tonight at Kent State University at Trumbull in Champion for an eight-performance run.
Shiloh Hart is not a fan of karaoke, at least when it comes to directing.
“I don’t like to karaoke things, that’s the word I use for copycatting,” Hart said. “Yeah, I like to keep, obviously, the major things you should have for that musical, but I like to do it in my own way, and I like to give my production team as much open creativity as possible so we can all put our own flavor into the show.”
That’s the approach Hart is taking with “American Idiot,” which Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre is staging as its annual summer stock musical. It opens tonight for an eight-performance run.
The musical features the music of Green Day and is built around its 2004 album “American Idiot,” which sold more than 15 million copies, according to the band’s website, and won the Grammy for best rock album. It also incorporates some songs from the band’s follow up, “21st Century Breakdown.”
The story involves three friends — Johnny, Tunny and Will — who plan to flee their suburban lives for the city. A pregnant girlfriend changes Will’s plan, but Johnny and Tunny still go, and their lives take unfortunate turns.
“With this show, what shocked me as I was going through the show and through rehearsal was how much of the suburbia life resonates with the Youngstown area and some of the things our community as a whole is going through right now with the drug epidemic,” Hart said.
She is a big fan of Green Day and the “American Idiot” album. That’s why she didn’t hesitate when the opportunity to direct the show was presented. But Hart and her creative team — Baz Wenger, technical director; Makenna Liller Dahman, choreographer; Kenzie James, scenic/props design; Carolyn Colley, costume design; Cord Ramsey, lighting design; Jake Glosser, sound design — make some radical departures from the traditional presentation of the musical.
“I didn’t want the look of the show to be anything like what it was on Broadway,” she said.
“It was really almost like a ‘Rent’ ripoff. Not a ripoff, that’s a bad word to use, but it came off way more bohemian than it did punk rock. And so with this show and especially with our scenic design, I said I would love to somehow take punk rock and throw up on the set design of “Chicago,” with the double stairs and the platform, while still keeping the metallic rock feel.”
The original staging relied heavily on television screens to convey information and present different scenes.
Hart wanted to find another option and set many of those scenes in bathrooms. The set features two bathroom doors that are wheeled on and off the stage.
“The doors are colored blue and red, signifying certain emotions that certain people go through,” Hart said. “St. Jimmy is the drug addict alter ego of Johnny, and I have him specifically coming in and out of the red bathroom, because red is rage and anger and pain and hardship and loss. So there’s things like that throughout the show.”
The character of Tunny is played as a drag queen, and Hart also decided to cast a dance ensemble to execute Makenna Liller Dahman’s choreography.
“I wanted to take some of the load of dancing off of the ensemble and the leads, because there’s so much singing in the show and there’s so many harmonies, I wanted the vocals to be perfect and the dance to be perfect, so I have dancers specifically doing that,” Hart said.
Rosie Bresson is music director and plays keyboard in the band that includes DJ DePanicis and Jason Vuksanovich, guitars; Dave Wolbert, bass; and Jesse DeLorenzo, drums. Jessica Brumfield is stage manager.
The cast features Demitri McMinn, Keith Stepanic, Paul Dahman, Harmon Andrews, McKenna Lago, Jojo Garcia, Bethany Yamaner, Carly DelliQuadri, Trudi Herrholz, Dakota Smith, Nate Chapline, Cadence Treich, Emma Woodyard, Steve Brown, Eria Hays, Kailey Meehan and Katie Kurdziel.
“It was probably the hardest casting I’ve ever had to do,” Hart said. “You always have such a hard time finding boys to do musical theater … (but) both genders showed up equally. It was phenomenal. So many talented people showed up.”
If you go …
WHAT: “American Idiot”
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through July 28
WHERE: Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre, 4314 Mahoning Ave. NW, Champion
HOW MUCH: Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for students and senior citizens and $15 for children ages 12 and younger and are available online at www.kent.edu/trumbull/theatre and by calling 330-675-8887.