South Eugene Theater’s 2024 season opens with fun, popular rom-com.

As the leaves begin to change and the air begins to cool, South Eugene Theater prepares to kick-off their 2023-2024 season with a vibrant production of the iconic musical, Mamma Mia!. Directed by South drama teacher John Monteverde, the show is already knee-deep in singing rehearsals, with dance rehearsals that began the week of Oct. 2. Only four weeks into the school year, the SET team has undergone a thorough audition process, persevered through some bumps along the road, and has even already sold a portion of tickets.

According to South sophomore Anne Cuplo-Carleton, who will be playing Tanya in the show, auditions ran extremely smoothly. 

“Expectations were made clear right away and everyone involved [was] so supportive,” Cuplo-Carleton said. 

SET’s fall audition process consisted of splitting the hopefuls into three groups, with one group auditioning for SET’s other show of the fall season, Almost Maine, directed by South senior Flora Brown. 

The other two groups were sent either to Chris Dobson, who assessed auditioners’ singing skills, or to Adam Kelly, the show’s choreographer, who taught them a short dance routine to assess their dancing abilities. 

“I am a freshman this year so I had no idea what I was getting into,” freshman Eleanor Turner said. “I was scared out of my wits, but everyone there was so supportive. I wanted to audition because it just felt like it would be a fun time, so I was just hoping to get ensemble.” Turner ended up getting a main role playing Rosie in the production.

The show, however, has not been without its speed bumps. 

Gage Wagner, South junior and stage manager for Mamma Mia!, noted that the one factor that worried him is that the show has been short a few members in the male ensemble. 

Despite this slight complication, Wagner was confident the show was on track to be extremely successful. 

“I’m feeling good about the production, I have faith in my abilities to keep everything together, and I have faith in the cast to put on a wonderful show,” Wagner said.

A major theme of Mamma Mia! is the idea of found family, and many SET members echo the sentiment that the South theater community reflects this same connection. South junior Morgan Chinn, who will be a part of the show’s ensemble, spoke on the supportive nature of the SET community. 

“SET is such a loving and welcoming place for me,” he stated. “I feel like the people truly understand my struggles and who I am as a person. Monty has gone out of his way to make sure I (as a disabled and trans student) have felt included and had my needs met. My fellow students never judge me or my needs, and I truly feel like I can trust them.” 

Mamma Mia! will run selected days from Friday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 19 in the South auditorium. 

In Monteverde’s own wise words: “Get your tickets while they last!”

Article by Siobhan Barrett