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Brandon Bergren, front from left, Sara Kutz-Yeager, Chris Steinmetz and other members of the cast of the MAT youth theater production of "Band Geeks" rehearse a scene from the play Wednesday.
Aarron Thompson, from left, Dever Everingham, Chase Lenz and Caroline Tuss rehearse a scene from "Band Geeks" Wednesday. The play opens tonight in the Little Theatre in Cowan Hall on the Montana State University-Northern Campus.
Montana Actors' Theatre will begin its run of "Band Geeks" tonight.
"Band Geeks" is a musical about members of a high school marching band that goes on a song-filled journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
The story revolves around members of the Cuyahoga High Marching Beavers, who try to save their band on a shoestring budget, all while dealing with the social pressures that come with being awkward adolescents.
Bethany Ordiniza, 19, is one of four MAT interns directing the play. Though she has worked on MAT plays for the last four years, she said Band Geeks marks her directorial debut.
Throughout the play, she said, performers carry around saxophones, clarinets, a sousaphone and a large wrap-around tuba while a pit orchestra provides the music from the rear of the stage.
Ordiniza, an education major, said that the most rewarding part for her was watching the young cast members learn their lines and become familiar with the play.
But the process was not without its difficulties. She said the biggest challenge was to fuse all elements of the play, the acting, music, choreography and story, "into one understandable unit."
Ordiniza shared her directorial duties with three other intern co-directors.
Though having multiple directors working on the same play might seem like a recipe for chaos, she said it was "a pretty good system."
Ordiniza said each director had a different duty. Ordiniza, for example, focused on directing the marchers and coming up with marching routines. Oriah Williams focused on the acting and choreography, Theron Williams procured props and tended to the costume needs and Scott Hamilton was the music director of the pit orchestra which will provide the music.
"Bands Geeks" will be performed July 28 to 30 and Aug. 4 to 6 at Montana State University-Northern's Little Theatre. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and members of the military and free of charge for MSU-Northern students with a valid student ID.
Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at mtactors.com, Fiveheads, Bear Paw Meats, Bear Paw Montana Realty and the Computer Center or at the door immediately before the show.
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