Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre (DMYAT) brings the high-energy HEATHERS – the MUSICAL to the Stoner Theatre at the Civic Center for ten performances beginning Friday August 22. The cult hit movie of the eighties is even more glorious with song and dance, and just as emotionally powerful as a dark comedy can be. Director Megan Helmers has assembled a powerhouse cast of voices to put forward this story of high school cliques, bullying, and the desperate lengths some kids are forced into.
WELCOME TO THE CANDY STORE
Yes, the story is over the top and exaggerated, but it all has grains of truth. The Heathers (Abby Fickbohm, Tatum Lowell, and Me’lisa Dudley) are the top Queen B’s of Westerberg High, the hottest and cruelest trio you can imagine (and you can decide what that “B” stands for). Outsider Veronica Sawyer (Charlotte Proctor) and her new boyfriend JD (Hunter West) end up involved in a plan to eliminate the three-headed monster, with incredible consequences.
“Luckily, my high school is nothing like the high school in Heathers!” says Tatum Lowell, playing the yellow Queen B’s, Heather McNamara. “Of course, there are the normal cliques and such, but for the most part everyone is kind to each other. Before I auditioned for the show, I was only familiar with the musical and had never seen the movie (I still haven’t). I was very intrigued by the music and subject matter. I remember listening to the music of the show and thinking how I would love to perform it on stage. This is definitely different from the other shows I’ve done with DMYAT (most of them Jr. shows) except for maybe 13 the Musical a few years ago. 13 also dealt with bullying, popularity and trying to fit in, but not to the same level as Heathers. Heathers is a bit more dark, haha.”
Lowell understates this significantly. Heathers – the Musical is a full-out dark satire, with adult subject matter that some would want a “Young Adult” theatre to shy away from. But DMYAT has a history of presenting all kinds of theatre for young people, from Little Women and Treasure Island all the way to Dog Sees God and RENT.
“I love how Heathers takes a regular high school experience and absolutely blows it out of proportions,” declares Hunter West, who plays the mysterious JD. “There’s very real and genuine things that take place in Heathers that would happen in a real school setting, like the name calling and verbal harassment, and others that are totally wild and add to the shows charm.”
“This show is not for the lighthearted.” he continues. “The show covers multiple HARSH topics that are hard for everyone of all ages to hear about. I want people to take away that words matter. Martha, a character in the show, takes constant verbal harassment from others, but it took her best friend talk down to her for her to really feel pain. I think that’s important for people to know. Kindness truly does matter.”
FIGHT FOR ME
As one of the best directors and choreographers in the area, Megan Helmers is well aware of the show’s history, and its potential for controversy. “It’s no secret that Heathers confronts thorny issues like bullying and school violence. Before we set the age range for our show (our cast is all 16+), our team discussed whether to license the teen edition or the full version of the script. What many people might not realize is that the currently licensed version of Heathers is based on the 2019 London revival, which incorporated a lot of really thoughtful changes based on what the creative team had come to see as oversights in the original off-Broadway production. There’s a new song for Veronica, “I Say No,” in which she explicitly condemns the violence and chooses to put a stop to it. The 2014 song “Blue,” which some felt trivialized sexual assault, has been replaced with “You’re Welcome,” which gives Veronica much more agency (and, I promise, is absolutely one of the funniest moments in the show). These along with several other changes to the licensed edition gave us the confidence to allow our cast to explore the full and complete material.”
“I’ve worked with Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre many times over the years.” notes Helmers. “One of the things I most appreciate about this organization and its mission is that they don’t shy away from allowing young artists to explore challenging material. DMYAT has a long history of producing work that tackles serious subject matter.”
As part of the crew, Assistant Music Director Emma Feldhans is also aware of the difficulties presented. “I recognized a great amount of care and consideration by the production team in the planning and early stages of rehearsals. There are a lot of sensitive and mature topics that are explored throughout this show that don’t typically appear in musicals in recent DMYAT history. While School of Rock and Bring It On! take a more light-hearted approach to conflict and coming of age in school settings, Heathers deals with more serious topics like bullying, suicide, and gun violence. The cast and production team have been very attentive to establishing boundaries and a safe environment for our actors (shoutout to our intimacy director, Stephanie Schneider!).
Schneider has also made an impression on actress Charlotte Proctor, who plays lead character Veronica Sawyer. “Stephanie Schneider has been a joy to work with. I have never worked with an Intimacy Director before, as I have never really worked with material this mature. She has taught me many things about personal boundaries, the importance of consent, and helping me recognize when my limits are being pushed. I think the most important thing that she’s taught me is that it’s OK to say no. Stepping out of our comfort zones is one thing, but no one should ever feel like they are so uncomfortable that they can’t effectively play their character. And if something would ever cause one of us to feel that way, we absolutely are allowed and more than welcome to say no to our fellow actors and directors. The best way I’ve found to get through difficult scenes, is talking about the scene beforehand. We basically just lay everything out on the table. We don’t beat around the bush, explaining exactly what is going on in the scene, and how it might be difficult to watch or listen to. Being open and honest is the best way to overcome scenes that portray topics that no one wants to talk about.”
SEVENTEEN
The show is hardly all horrible stuff, however. Proctor does enjoy playing Veronica tremendously. “Veronica Sawyer is a character that I’ve had so much fun playing so far in my rehearsal experience. Her spunky personality, sarcastic attitude, and dry sense of humor are things that I think a lot of 17-year-old girls can relate to. While my high school experience wasn’t as dramatic as hers was, I can definitely relate to some of the high school stereotypes being portrayed in this musical. Skipping class in the bathroom, watching fights break out at lunch, and just the every day mean girl. All these things I’ve experienced, which just helps me really play Veronica as accurately as possible. I think that because Veronica and I are so similar, she has a lot of the same reactions as I would to these kinds of situations.”
Overall, Heathers – the Musical has been a joy for the cast and crew, and Helmers hopes that audiences will feel the same way. “Heathers is a cult classic and a show that people have been asking DMYAT to do for years. It’s also an incredibly challenging show! The ensemble is busy from beginning to end and the adult characters pull triple duty switching from role to role, but the leads have to pull off song after song of vocally demanding music while bringing these iconic characters to life. The fact that our cast is mostly between the ages of 16 and 21 makes this all the more impressive. What this group of actors does every night in rehearsal absolutely blows me away – the level of talent is just outstanding. I couldn’t be more excited for audiences to see this incredible cast.
HEATHERS – THE MUSICAL is presented by Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre, with ten performances over two weeks (including Saturday matinees!). It opens on July 22 and runs through July 31. Tickets are available through the DMYAT website or through the Civic Center website as well. Due to mature content, this production is recommended for ages 13 and above.
–Heathers Photos by Dylan Heuer, Courtesy Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre.