Act Out

Who are you?  What year are you?  What are your interests?

Hello! My name is Talia Bodi and I’m a junior! I love drama (duh), reading, psychology, and Latin!

I’m so glad you decided to tell people about yourself and the current Homestead fall play.  What exactly do you do for James and the Giant Peach?

I’m in the ensemble so I do a lot of different parts. I get to play a shark, a seagull, a cloudman, a flower-obsessed lady, and the Chief of Police! I also get to do some other dance related things that don’t exactly have a named part.

What brought you to join the cast for James and the Giant Peach?

I love drama so I never miss an opportunity to do a show, and I love Rohd Dahl. His stories are so whimsical and fun and being part of bringing one to life has been amazing!

Do you have any stories from rehearsals, practices or crew sessions?

When I tension climb the silk with Supreme, I have to use him to climb up, and once I accidentally kicked him off the silk! Luckily, he was fine, usually I’m the one who does any falling!

All art comments on something or aligns itself with current issues.  How does James and the Giant Peach comment on current social or political issues and has it influenced you this fall?

I think the show really emphasizes being kind and working together. Every time James and the Insects have an issue, they all have to work together to solve it. I definitely think that’s a lot like what we have to do to make the show, we could never do it without working together and collaborating.

What do you hope the audience will be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?

That ensemble did a really good job portraying all those creatures! and That was so cool, I wish I could do something like that!

What’s one thing that is different in the rehearsal process for this production than anything we’ve done before in the Homestead Theatre Department?

I think the ensemble had a lot more input on our choreography than we have in the past, so it’s been really cool to see something I came up with make the cut and get incorporated into the show.

James and the Giant Peach is a story of imagination and childhood perspective. Does being in this show bring back any nostalgia or childhood memories for you?

I always really liked grasshoppers and ladybugs and we even have really big grasshoppers by my house, so it definitely reminds me of catching grasshoppers with my sister.

It also reminds me of a short story I read in elementary school about a boy and his father who find a beetle living in a hollow peach pit when the cut open the peach. I think that story had some important social commentary or something, but I just remember wondering how they didn’t notice the hole the beetle must have used to get in there!

Anything else you want to talk about?

If you’re ever interested in auditioning for a show, go for it! There will always be a part for you!