Occidental College’s theater department is bringing to the stage “Head Over Heels,” a musical comedy consisting of songs by the 1980s female rock band, the Go-Go’s. With performances on April 17–19, April 24–26 and May 16, the musical follows the story of a royal family on an adventure to save their kingdom.
According to Drey Chan (sophomore), a member of the ensemble, they have reached a point where they are excited to share the final product and all the work they have put in.
“Yesterday, we just did an act one stumble through and it was super cool to see it, ” Chan said. “I feel like now we’ve reached a point where we’re all singing while dancing, and it’s just really beautiful to see it all put together.”
Chan said that, for the ensemble, the process of rehearsing the play centered around creating their individual characters.
“Our director told the chorus members to come up with their own character,” Chan said. “Just because we don’t have lines, that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own character-like arc.”
Chan said their rehearsals helped create a community and explore the ways in which they can embody their roles in the play.
“I remember this one rehearsal session where they just played different types of music and we moved in the space,” Chan said. “I think that helped us explore what we could do with each other and how we can express different things through the movement of our bodies.”
According to Chan, the ensemble plays around with the embodiment of animals in the performance, anything from snakes, sheep or birds.
“We’re touching on puppetry for the snake, ” Chan said. “The director said, ‘You’re not playing you, you are the snake, so you direct your gaze to your snake. How you move doesn’t matter — it’s how the snake moves that matters.’”
According to Day Rhizal (senior), who plays a lead role, the rehearsals fostered a curious and energetic group of people who worked together to complete the piece.
“It became very clear to me that the energy of this show was lighthearted, hopeful, and curious,” Rhizal said. “From then on, I tried my best to show up every day excited and open to whatever people were bringing into the room.”
Rhizal said the fast-paced energy of the show taught them to enjoy the chaos and run with it throughout the show.
“Part of the fun of this show is how rapid-fire and sort of explosive it is at any given moment,” Rhizal said. “It was a challenge for me at first to feel there was enough space to fully explore every emotion or event being felt on stage, but learning to enjoy the chaos was important for me.”
According to Chan, the magical world of the play is relevant to our reality as it comments on various themes.
“It’s set in a magical world, but it’s super applicable to our world now and all the characters go through some sort of change,” Chan said. “Step into this world with us, challenge your ideas or the preconceived notions that you have.”
According to Lee Chaloemtiarana (junior), who acts in one of the lead roles, “Head over Heels” comments on queer identity and perceptive image in a subversive way, not in the way of hate, but through discovery.
“I hope people see the image of a society in which existing outside of a gender binary or being queer is a universally accepted truth,” Chaloemtiarana said. “Basilius, while a villain, never misgenders Pythio [(they/them)] once corrected [the first time]. He may be evil, but he’s not transphobic.”
According to Rhizal, “Head Over Heels” joyously speaks to the growth of people in changing circumstances with a comedic undertone.
“This musical is truly a celebration of love and acceptance,” Rhizal said. “Over the course of the show, every character grows into new, beautiful versions of themselves, largely through a rejection of inflexibility and stasis. So much of this show is really fun and silly, and of course, I want the audience to feel uplifted and joyous while watching it.”
Contact Cole Banks at cbanks@oxy.edu
