Q&A: A minute with LMHS drama directors Ken & Tara Lydy
This spring’s presentation of “Mary Poppins” marks the end of the third year that drama directors Ken and Tara Lydy have worked with Little Miami High School students. During that time, the couple has seen students stretch themselves in a number of ways, whether it is singing, dancing or taking on dramatic roles, including everything from Ichabod Crane to the Wizard of Oz.
Their thoughts on past productions and what the future holds for Little Miami Theatre.
Q. Why did you select "Mary Poppins" for this year’s spring musical?
A. Mary Poppins has always been a favorite musical of ours. When the rights became available for High School theatre programs, we were excited about the opportunity to take on the challenge. This is quite a difficult show vocally and technically. There are a lot of "magical moments" which stretch us as directors, designers, and actors.
Q. When do tickets go on sale and how can people get them?
A. Ticket reservations are available on-line or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lmhstheatre/
Remaining tickets will be sold at the door before each performance. Reserving tickets ahead of time will guarantee a seat which is a specific row and seat number. We experienced a sell-out show during Wizard of Oz and anticipate Mary Poppins will do the same.
Q. You have been working with Little Miami students now since 2015. What changes have you noticed in the students and productions between then and now?
A. We have enjoyed watching the students grow in the theatrical arts. They have embraced hard work and have been willing to allow us to challenge and stretch them as actors. They have also become quite energetic regarding new choreography. Most recently, as you will witness in Mary Poppins, they have been developing their tap dancing skills. One of the things we love about working with LMHS students is their genuine love for what they do. We vowed to give them the most professional theatre experience possible. Not only have students grown as actors, they've also grown in their technical theatre knowledge. Students have learned set construction, decorative scene painting techniques, special EFX and other "behind the scenes" tools which make our productions a success.
Q. What are some of your favorite moments from past productions at Little Miami?
A. We absolutely loved working with the ensemble cast of "You Can't Take it With You" this past fall. This allowed us to really focus on a deeper level of acting. Not to mention, embracing the 1930's with mannerisms, set design and costume design was also so much fun. Oklahoma! will also hold a special place in our heart as the first musical we produced at LMHS. And, who can forget when sparks literally flew during the Wizard of Oz.
Q. What theatre mountains do you still want to climb here at Little Miami? What is your vision for the future?
A. We are beginning to see a shift in the students as we are saying goodbye to so many of our "core" students, as they call themselves; these are the students who began this LMHS Theatre journey with us and have been so dedicated each year. While this is incredibly hard to say goodbye, we also look forward to developing new talent. As we get to know the talent and abilities of the next generation of students, we will begin looking at appropriate shows. We would love to expose the students to a Shakespeare production or a wonderfully, meaty drama. The students love comedy, however, we want to ensure they get a well-rounded theatre education that also embraces the classic along with the contemporary and popular mainstream shows.
