Spotlight On: Seth VanNatter

 

 

Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into the cast of Carrie. Get to know Seth VanNatter who is portraying Mr. Stephens/Reverend Bliss in our production!

 

 

 

Introduce yourself to our audience.

My name is Seth VanNatter, and this is my fifth show with Connecticut Theatre Company. Usually on the production side of things, I’m happy to be back onstage at CTC for a second time since doing The Drowsy Chaperone!

 

How do you balance the heightened, supernatural elements of the show with the grounded, painful reality of high school bullying?

I think the supernatural elements are there as a physical representation of the very real effects of trauma. I know that my emotions have frequently felt bigger than me and like they could tear down buildings around me if they could when going through intense experiences; sometimes the fallout from those moments is messy and painful and not okay, but I think the destruction caused by the physical manifestation of her trauma response is the most real part of the emotional core of the show in that way.

 

What is your favorite musical motif or lyric in Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford’s score that helps define your character?

“One day you finally see her.” I think that line that we return to is the soul of what Carrie is: from book to movie to musical. She was someone that no one ever really saw (either literally or figuratively) until she was thrust into the spotlight. What does noticing someone for the first time actually look like? And what’s the difference between looking at them and seeing them?

 

How does this production make Carrie feel relevant to modern audiences?

While I think the book and score have pushed a more modern lens onto the story of Carrie, I don’t think that’s what is going to make a modern audience connect with it. What ultimately is going to get people to relate to this show is the moments of vulnerability from all of the characters. Whether it’s Margaret reflecting on her own shortcomings as a parent, Sue admitting a helpless kind of regret, Carrie showing her desire to fit in, or anything else these characters choose to share, we can all relate to those moments. That’s what people are going to walk out connecting with.

 

What has been the most physically or emotionally demanding part of the rehearsal process for you?

The hardest part of rehearsals for me have been the music. Stepping away from learning music in this way for so long before coming back to it and getting my body back into a place where it can learn, memorize, and sustain singing through a show.

 

What surprised you most about the script and score compared to the original Stephen King novel or the films?

What surprised me most about this adaptation is the shift in Margaret’s presentation. We see a lot more of her hurt and her internal life come out in this musical than I remember from any of the other media, and it makes her much more sympathetic. But I think a point the team who created this adaptation wanted to get across was that everyone, no matter how terrible their actions seem from the outside, has their own inner story that’s motivating their behavior. They want us to think about seeing people for who they are at their center.

 

How does the ensemble use choreography and movement to amplify the tension and horror onstage?

I think the group as a whole have been asked to think about what we each bring to the table to create uniquely tense and terrifying moments. I think we’ve all put a lot of our own skills and ideas into the presentation of this script that make use of ourselves in the most effective way possible.

 

If your character could give one piece of advice to their younger self, what would it be?

I think Mr. Stephens would probably tell his past self that if he really wants to help people and be a guidance counselor, he needs to be there for every student. Meet them where they are, see them, and help them however they need it.

 

What do you hope audiences are discussing in the car on their ride home from the theater?