Laura Harrell, a native Graham actress, and her fiance, William Grayson, met while playing in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." Harrell plays the leading role in Graham Regional Theatre's ninth summer musical. Mame's performances are Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, and Friday through Sunday, July 30-Aug. 1, at Graham Memorial Auditorium. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. and matinees are at 2 p.m. (Courtesy photo)
Actress returns home for 'Mame'
by Gay Storms
(Posted 7/23/2010 02:53 pm)
lifestyles@grahamleader.com
A Broadway-bound actress is back in Graham for “Mame.”
Laura Harrell stars as Mame Dennis, a free-spirited, glamorous woman suddenly brought to earth by a little orphaned nephew.
The Graham actress handles the role with ease, thanks to many influential mentors in her life. She credits Graham High School drama teachers Jack Cody and Michael Carmichael for launching her career.
She is well on her way to becoming a professional actress with her sights set on New York City. So it’s only fitting she should return to play the leading role in Graham Regional Theatre’s ninth summer musical.
The musical has challenges all its own.
“Mame is more singing than dancing, more story-driven than any other musical I’ve done except for the opening number,” said Harrell.
Playing Mama Rose in “Gypsy” was good preparation, but Mame is a marathon musical. She’s used to sips of water and extra breaths, but not in Mame.
“There is no rest or break — just two hours nonstop,” said Harrell. “I’m always onstage performing or offstage dressing. Intermission is my only break.“
Understandably, her biggest hurdles are technical — making it all come together onstage.
“Entrances are the hardest,” said Harrell. “No matter how hard I try, it’s hard not to be delayed because of changes.”
And what costume changes she has.
“In Act I, I have 11 costume changes and in Act II, I have six,” said Harrell.
Kallie Karper’s job as Harrell’s wardrobe helper is full-time except for a few songs in the chorus.
“The real show happens offstage,” said Harrell, who especially loves the gold sequined dress in her grand entrance.
“Time jumps two decades so the progression of costumes presents a challenge,” said Harrell. “It’s hard to create hairstyles and fashions for that long of a period, but I have some awesome hairpieces and we layer clothes.”
Her madcap dashes to change required dashing up and down stairs so she has lost pounds and quit walking around the high school with her mother.
The young actress describes Mame as a bohemian woman “stuck where she doesn’t belong and with people who don’t understand her.” She can identify with Mame, being a small-town girl turned actress.
“Mame is an iconic character,” said Harrell. “When I think of musical theater, I think of Mame. I love the character. Mame believes everyday is a holiday. Unconventional is OK. Even her friends question her judgment at times.”
Audiences will find her relationship with her nephew Patrick endearing and funny. Young Patrick, portrayed by Race Ricketts of Olney, has the lead male role.
“It’s great to work with Race,” said Harrell. “We get closer and closer on stage — he has a great little voice.”
The older Patrick played by Taylor Sage matures into a man during the course of the musical. Men will identify with Patrick and his Aunty Mame, she said. Mame is the person who introduces him to the world outside of a rigid society.
Harrell’s education and acting experiences have prepared her to handle this difficult role. She’s mastered many of the demands of theater that newcomers find scary. For instance, memorization is not a problem.
“I don’t review my lines once I’ve memorized them,” said Harrell.
She has her own memorization routine down pat after appearing in so many musicals and plays.
To get ready for Mame, she listened to the sound track while driving down to Graham from Fayetteville, Ark.
“There are not many chunks of monologue,” said Harrell. “The dialogue is back and forth.”
After a recent play demanding a 15-minute monologue, Mame seems easy.
She sometimes goes blank or a noise in the audience distracts her, but she makes it seem part of the act. Her best ad libbing happened during Nunsense when a girl’s cell phone rang and rang. The phone’s owner was sitting two feet from the stage.
“You gonna get that?” Harrell asked the girl. “The house lights focused on her, and she ran out of the theater.”
Since it was interactive theater, the cell phone seemed part of the show.
Harrell has learned so much in grad school about personalizing a role that she can cry on cue.
“You learn how to get into a place, and it’s natural to cry. I’ve done a lot of substitution work. Whenever I sing, ‘If He Walked Into My Life,’ I always cry. I have to balance singing and crying,” said Harrell.
She earned a degree in musical theater from West Texas A&M. She is working on a master’s degree in theater at the University of Arkansas where she works as a publicist and teaches musical theater.
Harrell pointed out theater is the only art form that is always about humanity.
“It’s more personal — it’s all about being human,” she said. “There’s a relationship between actors and the audience. It’s interactive and actors feed off the energy from the audience. That makes the experience so much more rewarding.”
She has good advice for aspiring actors and actresses.
“Get rid of the idea that being an actor is glamorous,” said Harrell. “There’s a lot of late nights, hard work and working weekends. But it’s the most rewarding career in the world if that’s what you’re meant to be.
“It’s not about being a star, but being an artist, learning a part to tell a good story ... to change people and what they believe.”
Graham Regional Theatre’s ninth production and musical, “Mame” will be in town Saturday and Sunday and July 30 through Aug. 1, in Graham Memorial Auditorium. Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. All general admission seats are $10. Tickets are available at the Graham Chamber of Commerce or at the door.
