Act Out

Who are you?  What year are you?  What are your interests?
I’m Grayson Eichmeier, aka Oboe Cop.  I’m a junior, and I enjoy reading, drawing, listening to music, playing video games, meditating, and, of course, the oboe.

I’m so glad you decided to tell people about yourself and the current Homestead production.  What exactly do you do for The Little Mermaid?
I play oboe and English Horn in the pit orchestra.  I’m also Chef Louis Boyardee in The Pittle Mermaid.

What brought you to join the cast, crew, pit for The Little Mermaid?
I’ve done pit for the past two years, and I’m going for a four-year pit streak.  Also, it’s quite fun.

Do you have any stories from rehearsals, practices or crew sessions?
One time, some friends and I went to Walgreens, and we picked up an Ariel ornament for Ms. Houge.  We gave it to her at our next rehearsal and it was a sweet moment.

(Also, just check the pit Twitter for more funny stories @HHSPitOrchestra)

All art comments on something; aligns itself with current issues.  How does The Little Mermaid comment on current social or political issues and has it influenced you this winter?
I think The Little Mermaid represents how the drive for “more” in our society leads to negative consequences.  For example, Ariel wants something more than her collection and status under the sea, so she leaves everything, loses her voice, and almost loses it forever.  While she did have a happy ending, I feel that our extreme consumer culture is heading in her trajectory, but without the Disney ending. This has influenced me by reminding me to stay as down-to-earth as possible.

What do you hope the audience will be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
I hope they’ll be thinking “that oboe part sure was great”.  But in reality, I know they’ll be thinking that The Little Mermaid was truly a work of art.

What’s one thing that is different in this play or rehearsal process than anything else we’ve done in the Homestead Theatre Department?
The pit orchestra is way more involved with the production than they have been in years past, which is very rad.

Or as Pit would have it…