The West Bend Theatre Company is putting on a production of the stage masterpiece, Our Town, coming up 10/8-10/10 and 10/15-10/17/2021. On this week's episode, I'm joined by Kimberly Laberge and Benjamin Johnson, the actress and actor who play the two main characters in the performance. Kimberly and Ben talk about what it's been like getting ready for this famous play, what to expect from the show, and what they'd love to do in the future.
The show takes place at the West Bend Masonic Center, 301 University Avenue in West Bend.
Thanks for joining me for the 11th episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. I am your host, Fuzz Martin. No, I am your host. I'm sorry. I started this show about two months ago with the goal of shining a light on positive things happening in and around Washington County, Wisconsin. It's been fun so far, and it's been really fun hearing your comments, suggestions.
Feedback, someone stopped me at the hub in West Bend while I was getting coffee the other day to tell me they loved the show, and I really appreciated hearing that. Thank you. And I've also started receiving suggestions about great things going on in the community that I should talk about. One was, hey Fuzz, once 7th Avenue and Highway 45 northbound are open again, can you do a whole show just you driving and enjoying the lack of road construction?
That would be fun, I could do that, yes. But what we're going to do this week instead is a different listener suggestion. This week we're interviewing Kimberly LaBerge and Ben Johnson, both of whom are performing in the West Bend Theatre Company's performance of Our Town, which takes place this Friday through Sunday, October 8th through the 10th, and then again the following weekend, October 15th through the 17th at the West Bend Masonic Center at 301 North University Avenue.
Without further ado, here's Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz, featuring Kimberly LaBerge. And Ben Johnson.
Kimberly and Ben, thanks for coming on the show today. I appreciate having you guys on here and really learning all about West Bend Theater Company and the production of Our Town coming up. Let's talk to you a little bit first, Kimberly, how long have you been acting and like, where did you get your start?
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Now I'm really excited to be here playing Emily in Our Town, which is another massive dream role for me. So I've been kind of knocking off some bucket list theater items lately.
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My mom was forced me to audition for a production of the Boxcar Children, and I was having none of it, no part of it whatsoever. And so when that happened, I I thought, why are you making me do this? I hate this. I hate this. And by the end of the show, I'm like, well, I'm never going to stop doing this ever.
Fast forward through all the wonderful shows that I've gotten the opportunity to be in and, and, or direct. It's been really a treat. And like Kimberly, I also went to school for the arts. And so it's now fast forward to our town. Um, this is actually the second time I've done this show. The first time was 11 years ago with Sheboygan Theatre Company.
Um, It was a family affair just as much back then as it is now. My whole family was in that. My dad, who's the director for the show, played editor Webb. And that was kind of my intro to theatrical literacy was this show, because it's such a classic. And now getting to play George Gibbs is, it's been a role that I've kind of always kept my fingers crossed in the back of my mind that I could cross it off and play one day.
And here we are. And I'm, I'm in, I'm loving every second of it. It's so much fun.
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Kimberly, what is your role in Our Town?
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It's really a wonderful, long spanning role over the three acts of the show.
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So you get to see his arc grow. And his growth over that span of time as well.
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It's given us the opportunity to almost every night of the week meet with the cast. and run through the scenes and do table work, which is just what we in theater call talking about the script and diving into the characters and understanding who they are and where they're coming from, to lead us to the last couple of weeks as we're getting really close to rehearsals and performances here.
So it's around six weeks of meeting every weeknight, give or take a day or two, and getting to where we end up.
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So I stage manage with Coles Wild Theater. I'm a performer with Royal Fairytale Events, which basically means that if someone says, I want the real Rapunzel to come to my birthday party, they might get me. Um, and I do freelance work here and there as a critic and as a teacher and just to pick up the pieces and stay in the arts.
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So I teach little ones ages 4 through 10, all about how music works. And so that's a lot of fun. And then like Kimberly, I also am very involved with theater and theater. Really, all, all over the state. And actually, before coming here, before doing this tonight, just came from holding auditions for the Murder Mystery that I am going to be directing, starting literally the day after this show ends.
So, it's one right to the next, so it's been fun. And I do shows through various theater companies through Wisconsin. Like, Theater for Young Lakeshore Productions, This is my first time with West Bend Theatre Company, but it's been great. And also doing shows with Memories Ballroom in Port Washington as well.
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So for me, it was looking back and thinking, okay, what was, what was Ben like at age 16 and age 19? And then thinking about, okay, now what would, how would George be at age 16 and 19? And going through that arc, putting those two time periods together, the real challenge for me has been kind of finding a, A happy marriage between the two, and still wanting it to be convincing, but also have a sense of a timeless quality that this show so beautifully portrays.
So I think that's been the biggest challenge for me in terms of getting myself prepared for the role, because it's a, it's a role that I, that I know very well, but wanting to make sure that I keep it as is, but also put my own little spin on it too, as with every role that, that I tried to do.
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And how about you Kimberley, what have you found challenging about getting prepared for this?
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But Emily is the one who puts a name to that. And so there's a lot of pressure as an actress to give the show its meaning in that third act and elevate it in that performance to retroactively look at everything that's happened on stage so far and say, that's why it mattered. Emotionally, that really runs the gambit and it is a whole roller coaster to do it every night.
But it's also the joy of the show. It's not very many shows that give you that opportunity to say, this is what life means, but Emily's character really does.
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No, so as I mentioned earlier, I've been kind of knocking off some dream roles. I got to do Catherine in Taming of the Shrew, and I'm now getting to do this one. I think the next one, there is a 14 year old daughter in August Osage County, and while I am beyond that age, I look at that text and that show, and it is a very emotionally laden, complex family story, and it's one of those stories where, because of the The scenes that this character enacts in, you want an actress who's older than 18, but who can play younger.
And so, as I'm now playing a role that starts at age 14, that's kind of one of my special skills. I can play younger when I need to. And so, that's, that's my next goal role, if I get the opportunity.
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I will say I did get to cross one of them off three summers back when I was in a production of Guys and Dolls and I got to play Skye Masterson. That was That was absolutely a bucket list dream come true for me. And then in terms of other roles, I don't know if it's well known, if I had to say one dream role would definitely be playing the role of Anatoly Sergeyevsky in the concert version of the musical Chess.
That would be the end all be all for me.
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It's one of the most produced shows of all time, so a lot of high schools will pick it up, and other community theaters, all the way to professional productions, but there's a reason why it's done that much. And I think it's because it's relatable, and it's a story that whether you feel like your life is wonderful and full of imaginative, crazy experiences, or if your life feels boring and simple, and bland even, you know, this show breathes meaning into the whole gambit of experiences.
And so I would say don't be turned away by the fact that you've heard of it, and it feels like an old fashioned show that everyone's done before, because there's a reason that everyone's done it. It's that beautiful, and it's that worth doing over and over again.
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And we're looking forward to seeing Our Town at the Masonic Lodge in West Bend with the West Bend Theatre Company. Friday, October 8th, the 9th and 10th, as well as Friday the 15th, 16th and 17th. And we really appreciate you coming on the show and hope it's a great performance.
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Shows are Friday, October 8th, two shows on Saturday, October 9th, Sunday, October 10th, then again Friday, October 15th, two more shows on Saturday, the 16th, and one final matinee on Sunday, October 17th. So help support the arts in our community and buy your tickets to Our Town Today at westbendtheatreco.
com. That'll do it for this week's episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. We'll talk to you again next week. If you like the show, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at FifteenWithFuzz or visit FifteenWithFuzz. com.
