Meghan Gardiner has performed in a lot of plays over the years, but rarely has she had to prepare for heckling.
“We’ll be doing a run-through and [director Carole Higgins] will suddenly start yelling random things at us,” says the veteran Vancouver-based actress. “We need to be prepared to respond.”
It’s not a typical rehearsal tactic. Then again, Gardiner isn’t performing for a typical audience.
Gardiner is appearing in Busytown, an adaptation of Richard Scarry’s bestselling 1968 children’s book What Do People Do All Day? Adapted for the stage by Michael Koerner and Kevin Kling and presented by Carousel Theatre for Young People, Busytown is geared towards children ages three to seven.
The hour-long musical finds the animal residents of Busytown going about their daily business under the watchful eye of Huckle Cat, who is trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up.
Carousel’s production features six actors performing nearly 40 roles. “There’s probably just as entertaining a show going on offstage with costume changes and props,” laughs Gardiner, who plays nine different characters, including Farmer Alfalfa, a goat.
Scarry’s book overflows with detailed illustrations, and Carousel’s production design is faithful to the source material. “When you think of all the cars in those books — the carrot cars and apple cars and crayon cars — they’ve all been specially designed and built for this show,” says Gardiner.
For many in the audience, Busytown marks an important milestone in their lives: a first taste of the magic of the theatre. That’s why the performers prepare for heckling: “They haven’t been exposed to theatre etiquette, so their reactions are so honest; they let you know how they feel,” says Gardiner.
And this an era of touchscreens and multi-tasking, there’s much to be gained from an hour in a darkened theatre. “The lights go down, and all you have to do is allow yourself to be entertained by the actors on the stage,” says Gardiner. “I think that’s really important to instill in kids early on.”
Busytown runs at the Waterfront Theatre until March 30. CarouselTheatre.ca
