Hello, my name is Lonnae Hickman and I’m assistant director and script secretary for our winter musical Beauty and the Beast. I myself haven’t done much yet, my job doesn’t actually start until tech week. Currently I’m writing down blocking (all the movement done by the actors) and until I have to call all the cues for the show. Why did I want to be involved in this production? Well I’ve done every show at Homestead for three years now, so why break the streak?
I think doing script sec is more stressful than anything else I’ve done for the shows. So I would say that acting is easier for me. While I don’t play a character, if I had to choose a character, I think the Beast is most like me. We’re both irrational,awkward,people are sometimes scared of us, and surprisingly we’re kind (in a weird way).
I love the fact that I get to see the whole show from the beginning to the end. I get to see all the things we changed, all the hard work that went into the show, and it makes me proud. I hate that if I mess up, the whole audience will know. I also have to rely on other people to help me, and calling 5 different cues at once is the worst. You have to learn the boundaries between being friends with everyone and doing your job, because if you’re too nice to cast members: number one they might not respect you, and number two it will make it harder to give constructive criticism. It’s hard.
Any one who loves DISNEY and I think overall families will really enjoy the show. It has everything romance,action, fantasy, and goofiness. One difference from the Broadway version that we do have slightly different costumes than it and movie version of Beauty and the Beast. Also, it is a very elaborate and detailed show, which makes it extremely difficult to do live and with Homestead just being a high school it’s hard to make such a whimsical show seem like a reality, but we are getting there.
If I have a five-minute break during rehearsalI traditionally spend my time talking to anyone on stage crew about random unimportant things, or listening to the funnest person in the production, Sarah Mai. When not at rehearsal I’m…Um… I’m never not doing theater. Seriously right now I am in 5 other programs for theater outside of Homestead…but when I do have a little time I watch Netflix.
Right before the show starts, I walk up the stairs to the booth, I take a deep breath, and I give stage crew an encouraging note over the headset.
Random Questions:
-What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a props master/designer for television, film and theater!
-If someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would play you?
Jennifer Lawrence would be perfect for me,but she doesn’t look remotely like me so I guess Amandla Stenberg (I don’t know how she would do at acting though)
-When did you first get into theatre?
In 1st grade, my mom enrolled me into a class at First stage and even though at first I hated it, I grew to love it, and ever since then i’ve been involved in theater.
-Who do you look up to?
At the moment Frida Kahlo, Jim Henson, America Ferrera, and of course my mother.
-What’s your perfect Sunday afternoon look like?
Finding the perfect TV show to binge watch (probably Doctor who) for a few hours and then maybe hanging out with a friend. Also not having any homework.
-If you had a magic wand, what show would you do next?
Either Something Rotten or Hamilton (I’m amazing at singing helpless)
Act Out 