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Horton hears a cue! ‘Seussical’ takes the stage at Actors Guild

'Seussical' takes the stage at Actors Guild

By Gwen Sour 3 min read

PARKERSBURG - The Actors Guild of Parkersburg will bring the colorful world of 鈥淪eussical the Musical鈥� to the stage this weekend, opening a production that blends childhood nostalgia with themes aimed at audiences of all ages.

Directed by Josh Woodard, the musical draws primarily from 鈥淗orton Hears a Who!鈥� and 鈥淗orton Hatches the Egg,鈥� while weaving in elements from nearly 20 other stories by Dr. Seuss. Woodard said the show goes beyond its whimsical appearance.

"It's kind of sprinkled with a lot of different character references," Woodard said. "But it really focuses on taking care of people who can't necessarily take care of themselves and how you treat the most vulnerable in your society."

Woodard said the production has been more than a year in the making, beginning with early set and costume designs and growing into a full-scale performance supported by a large team.

"It's been very nostalgic," he said. "Most of us learned to read with Dr. Seuss, so being able to revisit a lot of these stories has been a great experience."

The show features a cast of 29 performers, along with assistant directors and crew members working behind the scenes. Managing schedules proved to be one of the biggest challenges, Woodard said, noting the realities of community theater where cast members balance jobs, school and other commitments.

Despite those hurdles, he described the group as collaborative and dedicated.

"When you have a good group of people to work with, it makes it easy," he said.

Cast members echoed that sentiment, citing both the show鈥檚 message and the experience of working together as highlights.

"I love the moral lessons of Dr. Seuss," said Eli Tracewell, starring as the Cat in the Hat. "There's this facade of silliness and absurdity, but it really gets to the heart of important topics that are relevant right now."

For one young cast member, Frankie Small, who plays Jojo, the production marks a first step onto the stage.

"This is my first ever show," said Small. "I've always loved Dr. Seuss books, and I've always wanted to be in a Dr. Seuss book."

Other cast members pointed to the production's playful tone and strong sense of collaboration.

"I really like how cartoony everything is," said Jack Peyton, who plays Horton the Elephant. "I love being a cartoon character all the time, even though Horton is a little more serious and more emotional."

"We all just have so much fun on stage," said Claire Howard, who is playing Gertrude McFuzz, Horton's love interest. "There's no stress -- it's all just fun."

The production also carries personal significance for some performers, including those returning to Parkersburg or following in family footsteps tied to earlier productions of the show.

Woodard said one of the biggest misconceptions about the musical is that it is only for children.

"Kids will love it because they love Dr. Seuss," he said. "But there's a lot in there for adults too."

With elaborate sets, detailed costumes and a wide range of references -- including a nod to an early 1950s live-action project connected to Dr. Seuss -- Woodard said the production reflects a "labor of love" from the entire cast and crew.

"I just hope people see the work that's gone into it," he said.

Performances are scheduled for today and Saturday, as well as May 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Sunday and May 3 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.actors-guild.com/buy-tickets.

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