Q&A With Anything Goes Star Olivia Whitehouse

As part of an ongoing series covering this year’s Scotch Plains Fanwood-High School Repertory Theater production of Anything Goes, Patch sat down with sophomore, Olivia Whitehouse who plays the part of Erma; the sassy, sneaky and boy crazy sidekick to Moonface Martin.

Patch: What musical and performance activities are you involved in outside of Repertory Theater and what rep theater productions have you participated in in the past?

Whitehouse: Last year I played the role of Tammy in Rep Theater’s production of "Hairspray." I also participate in Las Cantadoras, Select and Concert Choir here at the high school. I study acting and dance at Front and Center in Springfield. I have been dancing since I was three and currently study ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical. Every January, I perform in Front and Center’s annual musical. I also study voice with Valerie Pineda. I have also performed in several musicals with the Pineda Summer Conservatory.

Patch: You have dedicated so much time to the performing arts. What drives your passion for performing?

Whitehouse: It’s kind of second nature to me at this point. Theater feels like home to me. It’s the way that I express myself. It doesn’t matter if I am having a good day or a bad day; all I have to do is worry about the task at hand. If it’s a dance class, I think about the learning the steps; if it’s a voice lesson, I worry about breathing correctly and learning the music. My sister also loved to perform; it feels nice to follow in her footsteps.

Patch: What was your reaction when you heard that this year’s selection for Rep Theater was Anything Goes?

Whitehouse: I was very excited! I was a tap dancer in a production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” a few years ago, so I was excited to get the chance to tap again on stage. 

Patch: What was the casting and audition process like?

Whitehouse: The audition was definitely a little nerve wracking. The night that the cast list went up, everyone who auditioned was on Facebook freaking out and as soon as it was posted, my news feed lit up with status updates. When I found out that I had won the part, I was so happy!

Patch: You have been tapping for most of your life. What has it been like to watch so many of your cast mates learn to tap for the first time?

Whitehouse: It is truly incredible. Our choreographer, Gisa has been working with everyone since day one and everyone is doing such a great job. I think the show is really coming together.

Patch: What is it like to work with music director/producer Jan Allen, director, Matt Capodicasa?

 Whitehouse: Matt is great because he can relate to us. He is so approachable and supportive. It is great to have a director that we can actually talk to and feel totally comfortable with. Working with Ms. Allen is so much fun, and we get spend so much time with her during and after school.  

Patch: As a veteran dancer, what has it been like to work with choreographer,  Gisa Dilrio?

Whitehouse: When you study dance in the classroom, you have to focus on developing technique. Dancing with Gisa in “Anything Goes” or any musical is more about having fun and living in the steps. Gisa amazes me. She can help first time and experienced dancers blend perfectly on stage. All of the people we work with, Ms. Allen and Matt included, work really hard to help us feel comfortable and have fun.

Patch: Rep Theater is a huge time commitment, meaning that you spend so much time with the same people. Tell us about the relationship you have with your castmates.

Whitehouse: Being a part of Rep is cool because you get to be friends with people who are in other grades or hang out in different social groups. We all have so much on our plate with due dates for projects, tests, learning music, but it’s okay because we are all stressed out and crazy together.

Patch: Opening night is less than a week away which means you’re in rehearsals every day. How are you managing your time?

Whitehouse: Normally, I dance at least 20 hours a week at Front and Center. Whenever I’m not on stage, I’m doing homework or learning music for another choir. Luckily, there are a couple people in Rep who I also have classes with, so we get together during dinner breaks to study and do homework. At the end of the day, if I haven’t gotten everything done, I don’t beat myself up about it. I go to sleep and I wake up the next day and start fresh.

Patch: When you finally have a chance to sit back and take a break from it all, what do you do for fun?

Whitehouse: I listen to my iPod and I sleep!

Patch: What are your plans for college and life after high school? Will you continue to be involved in the performing arts after you graduate?

Whitehouse: I definitely want to be in the theater business, whether I’m on stage, working behind the scenes, or even teaching. I have been working at this my whole life so as long as I’m involved in some aspect of theater, I’ll be happy.

Patch: As rehearsals for “Anything Goes” come to a close, what are some of your favorite memories of Rep Theater 2012?

Whitehouse: As much as we all complained, one of my favorite memories is running the “Anything Goes” dance over and over again because we have come so far, and the number looks so incredible now. I will also always remember all of the Rep theater gatherings we had outside of rehearsal because it was the first time we really connected and brought the freshman and newcomers into the mix.   

Patch: What makes being a part of Repertory Theater such a special experience for you?

Whitehouse: At the end of the day, we are a family. When we’re in rehearsal together, no one is being judged. You can be yourself. You are always surrounded by people who care about you and want to have fun. After spending so much time in rehearsals, you can’t help but fall in love with your cast. Rep is a really great experience for everybody, and no one ever wants it to be over. We work so hard and at the end we produce something that will be talked about for years and people will know that you were a part of it.