Interview: Director Susan Speidel and SENSE & SENSIBILITY at Summit Playhouse

The Summit Playhouse's 330th Mainstage production, Sense & Sensibility will be on stage from Friday, October 21st to Saturday, November 5th. The play by Kate Hamill is an adaptation of Jane Austen's famous novel that follows the fortunes and misfortunes of Dashwood sisters after their father's sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable.

Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing the director of Sense & Sensibility, Susan Speidel about her career the upcoming show at Summit Playhouse.

Speidel served for 20 years as the Director of Education at the Tony Award winning Paper Mill Playhouse. During that time, she also appeared on Prothe Paper Mill stage in The Student Prince, Jesus Christ Superstar, and numerous concerts and Humanities Symposium events. As a cabaret performer she has appeared at Judy's Chelsea, The Duplex, and Broadway Baby Bistro, in NYC; Bob Egan's Cosmopolitan Club, and Odette's in New Hope; and the Lobby Theatre of the Tennessee Williams Performing Arts Center in Key West. She has been a soloist with the Seattle and Portland Symphonies, the Orchestra of St. Peters by the Sea, and the Key West Pops Orchestra. Also in Key West, she played the title role in Hello, Dolly, directed by Lee Roy Reams, and appeared as Stella Deems in Follies. Other regional credits include Rose in Gypsy, Rev. Mother in Nunsense, Mama Morton in Chicago, Gooch in Mame, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and Emma Goldman in Ragtime. She directed over 100 professional, community, university, and high school productions, and taught theatre for 12 years at Morristown-Beard School. She is currently on the faculty of the Theatre Conservatory at Kean University and also teaches for Rutgers University. She holds a Doctorate from Drew University and also studied at HB Studios in NY and the Globe Theater in London. She is a recipient of the NJ Governor's Award for Theatre Education, the NJ Theatre Alliance's Applause Award, and was inducted in the NJACT Hall of Fame for her contributions to arts education. She is also the recipient of two BroadwayWorld/NJ awards for outstanding cabaret performer and outstanding performer in a musical.

When did you first become interested in the theatre arts?

I was introduced to theatre and music very young, by my parents and grandparents. Both my parents sang around the house, my paternal grandfather took my sister and I to see many Broadway shows, and there's a family story about me at age 5 or 6 singing with the band at a bon voyage party when my mother's parents were sailing to Europe. I became seriously interested in performing, however, when I was about 12 or 13 and started voice and dance lessons. I got the lead in my high school musical the first year I auditioned and have been doing shows ever since.

Is there anyone in particular who inspired your career?

I still trace a lot of what I know about performing to my first voice teacher, Al Greiner. He not only taught me vocal technique, but he taught me how to interpret a lyric and put over a song. A few years after starting lessons with him, I went to see Liza Minelli in concert, and it was only then that I really "got it" and realized he was teaching me as much about acting as he was about singing. In terms of my inspiration as a director, I used to sit in the back of the theatre during tech rehearsals, when I worked as Director of Education at Paper Mill Playhouse, and I watched so many wonderful directors blend production elements with what had been created in the rehearsal room. It was like a master class in how it all comes together.

You wear many hats! How do you balance such a busy career with acting, directing and teaching?

It's all about scheduling - and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! But seriously, I feel fortunate that I get to do so many different things. It is certainly never dull. What fuels me the most, however, is the time I get to spend in the classroom teaching acting, musical theatre performance, and musical theatre history. I teach a wide range of students - little kids, college students, and senior citizens - and each has its own rewards and challenges. Sure, it can get a bit chaotic at times, but it keeps me on my toes! And, of course, it helps that I love what I do.

Tell us a little about working with Summit Playhouse.

This is the second time I have directed for them. The first was a production of Maltby and Shire's Closer Than Ever and I am so glad they asked me back. The playhouse itself is a charming space, with so much history behind it. It was originally the Summit Library, and it is now on the National Register of Historic Buildings. However, as with any organization, it is the people inside the building that make it tick and Summit Playhouse is run by a group of really dedicated people. Each is intent on making sure that the best possible production appears on their stage. And, since arts education has been such an important focus throughout my career, I also love that they have such an active Youth Theatre as part of their regular programming, helping to train the next generation of theatre artists and enthusiasts. In fact, we have two high school students working on Sense and Sensibility, running sound and programming the light board!

We'd love to know more about the cast and creative team behind Sense & Sensibility.

I had to pinch myself when we first cast the show. I simply couldn't believe we found actors who were so well suited to Jane Austen's characters. Some are experienced and others are new to the stage, but all are funny, talented, and hard working. Key to assembling the cast, of course, was finding the right actresses for the Dashwood sisters and we were very lucky that Giuliana Bartucci (Elinor) and Christine Talarico (Marianne) walked in off the street and blew everyone away. In addition, the actors in the Gossip Ensemble (Lisa Barnett, Susan Hagen, Noah Kudman, Jessica Phelan, and Robert Podolak) are all gifted actors who have played leads in other productions. It really is an embarrassment of riches. Jenna Burke (Assistant Director) and Fred Cuozzo (Stage Manager) have provided incredible support throughout rehearsals, and I can't imagine undertaking this project without their insightful contributions. On the production side, Roy Pancirov (Scenic Design) and Gordon Weiner (Scenic Painting) have created an elegant and picturesque unit set that allows us to move through the numerous locations required by the story, and Joe Hupcey's beautiful lighting and Fran Harrison's wonderful period costumes are - well, the proverbial icing on the cake.

What would you like audiences to know about the show?

I'd like them to know that this play is funnier than they think it is going to be. Many people are of the opinion that Jane Austen's works are staid and reserved. In reality, however, her writing is wickedly funny and full of scathing social commentary. And, while she may not have labeled herself as such, Austen was a feminist. Women in her day, including Austen herself, had little agency of their own and their fortunes relied entirely on their fathers and husbands. Still, Austen created strong and intelligent female characters with independent thoughts and deep passions. And of course, there is the elegant fantasy of it all with sumptuous clothing, pastoral settings, gorgeous manor houses, elaborate balls, and romantic encounters on the moors! Kate Hamill's witty and rollicking script captures all that, while still being faithful to the original novel - which I'm sure will please Austen fans.

Can you share with us any of your future plans?

As soon as Sense and Sensibility opens, I start rehearsals for Chatham Players bi-annual production of A Christmas Carol, in Chatham, NJ. They've been doing this version, by Philip Wm. McKinley and Suzanne Buhrer for more than 20 years, and this is my 12th or 13th time directing it! It's a great way to usher in the holiday season. That will be followed by a Disco-inspired version of Twelfth Night that I'm directing at Cranford Dramatic Club, in Cranford, NJ. Two very different productions, but I'm looking forward to working on both. In terms of my performing life, I'm looking forward to returning to the Actors Home in Englewood, NJ, where my accompanist Joseph Regan and I do a monthly "Name That Show Tune" program for the residents, sponsored by Paper Mill Playhouse. It is always a really fun afternoon! And, this spring, I'm excited to start teaching a Musical Theatre Appreciate Class in the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers! So, there's a lot going on!! Bring on the coffee!!!!

Anything else, absolutely anything you want BWW NJ readers to know.

I think the notion of individual freedom vs. personal restraint, so central to the characters in Sense and Sensibility, is not all that different from issues we face in today's society and the idea that society's rules can dictate personal choice is certainly a familiar theme these days. Perhaps that explains the resurgence we are experiencing just now of Regency period stories in film and television, such as Bridgerton on Netflix and Sandition on PBS. Maybe, just maybe, escaping into Austen's world for a few hours can give us a deeper understanding of our own.

Dor more information on Susan Speidel, visit her web site at: https://www.susanspeidel.com.

Tickets are now available for Sense & Sensibility. Adults are $25, Seniors/Students are $20. The Summit Playhouse is located10 New England Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. For more information, visit https://www.thesummitplayhouse.org/ or call 908.273.2192. You can contact them at summitplayhouseinfo@gmail.com. Follow them on Instagram @summitplayhouse.

Susan Speidel's Headshot Photo Credit: K. Cantor

Production Photo Credit: Sandra Nissen Photography