Executive Director Sara K. Dean takes a turn in the interview hot seat, fielding five questions about the relevance of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, the challenge of mounting such a complex show, the artistic vision behind it, how it fits into the overall 2019-2020 season, and the new and familiar faces who will be bringing it to life come September 28.

Get your tickets now at this link or by calling 408-266-4734. This is the fourth video in a series of behind the scenes looks at “The Art of Theatre” as practiced here at South Bay Musical Theatre. Come see us make magic while making merry.

Watch the video below, or read the transcript. Comments are welcome.

Q: How is A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder relevant in today’s world?

A: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder takes place in Edwardian times England at a time where the class system was very divided. I think in today’s society we are still facing some of those same discrepancies in income, and I believe the correlation between the show and our present-day situation is rather relevant.

Q: What are some of the challenges of bringing this show to the stage?

A: Walter Mayes and Heather Kenyon, our Director and Set Designer, have really gone above and beyond for this show. They’ve created an immersive world inspired by Edward Gorey‘s illustrations. And we are thrilled with the challenge of bringing this to life. With 15 performers, we have almost 100 different costumes. There is a stage within a stage, and it is guaranteed to be a visual delight for our audiences.

Q: Is this a show that children might enjoy?

A: I would recommend this show for tweens or preteens who are more mature. I happen to have a 12-year-old son who is a theater nut, and will be the audience on opening night.

Q: How does this show fit into your season as a whole?

A: Our 2019-2020 season is a tribute to love and “Love is a Battlefield.” We start off with A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, which is a humorous look—and an artistic take on—love as a means to an end. She Loves Me is our charming winter show, a sweet story of love beating the odds. And then South Pacific is our season finale, a traditional musical sure to delight our audiences. And a tale, while a love tale, is also very relevant to our society these days, and I think our audience will find resonance with all three of these shows.

Q: What can you tell us about the people involved in this show?

A: South Bay Musical Theatre really thrives on the strength of its community. On this show, you’ll be able to recognize familiar faces like David Mister and Alea Selburn from our fairly recent production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. RuthE Stein and Michael Hirsch both were in The Bridges of Madison County, which was a TBA-nominated production. We are also welcoming a number of new faces, and that’s what we love about South Bay Musical Theatre is that we continually grow and thrive as a team, as a community, and we are welcoming to new faces, new experiences, for both our performers and our community—and our patrons!

My name is Sara Dean, and I am the executive director for South Bay Musical Theatre.