The Drowsy Chaperone hits NE with daydreams, musical mania

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Lorens Portalain, center, plays Janet, the main character in the show-within-a-show NE production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Photo by Justin Gladney / The Collegian

The Drowsy Chaperone, which will be onstage at the NE Playhouse May 2-5, takes on the main theme of dreams and the believability many dreams can have.
The story is a show-within-a-show with the narrator, or the Man in Chair, as someone who adores musicals. As he listens to a recording of a fictional musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, the story is brought to life in his living room.

Kelly Nichols plays the Drowsy Chaperone, a woman who is extremely intoxicated through the whole show. Though this musical is the first production Nichols has been in at TCC, she has been involved in theater for quite some time. She said she did not have to prepare much for the role because she can be dramatic like her character.

“I think she’s like me but exaggerated times a thousand. She’s a little bit crazy, out there,” Nichols said. “I just had to decide what direction I really wanted to go with this character, who I wanted to inspire me to be — if I wanted to play it really sarcastic and mean or if I wanted to just be really over the top and exaggerate like I have now.”

Student Elizabeth Palpan plays a reporter and is a dancer in the production. This is also her first time in theater at TCC. She said she was in theater all through high school but never musical theater.

“During the audition process, we had to learn the dances and sing a lot of numbers, so I guess now that I’ve established my role, I’m just working on improving those things, and it’s on to the next show,” she said.

The Man in Chair slowly goes through a mental breakdown because of his failing marriage.

Palpan said she thinks the audience can relate to him and the play in the themes of losing one’s self in the simplicities of life and living life to the fullest whenever possible.

Nichols said that people like the narrator like to lose themselves.

“You know, when times are tough, people want to turn to something that they love and that they enjoy to just forget about the hate of the world,” she said.

The Drowsy Chaperone, directed by drama adjunct Susan Mills-Polster, will play at 7 p.m. each night with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday. Tickets are free for TCC students, faculty and staff, $3 for seniors and other students and $6 for general public. For reservations, call 817-515-6687.