A UF club is putting the spotlight on its new venture in hopes of drawing a greater audience. The student-run theater company Florida Players’ spring season now features a musical, something that has not been done by this club in two years.
“Putting on a musical requires a lot more from a director,” said Kim Yeoman, a 21-year-old UF scenic design senior and production manager for the Florida Players. “They need a choreographer, a music director and an accompanist. It’s a big challenge for a student director.”
The Florida Players chose to include “Spring Awakening,” a rock musical, in its lineup of three shows for the semester.
Producing a musical may be a challenge, but Yeoman said she believes the director can handle it.
However, this risky choice will greatly impact the Florida Players’ budget.
Katina White, a 19-year-old UF theater sophomore and treasurer for the Florida Players, said that more of the budget, which is about $40,000, has been allotted to the musical than to the other two shows.
“We have budgeted a large chunk of money for the rights and the score,” White said. “The props, sets and costumes will also cost more than they do for the straight plays.”
Janiel Myers, a 21-year-old UF theater senior and the director of “Spring Awakening,” foresees a different challenge going into this show, which will include live music.
“I am most concerned about the logistics of finding musicians and getting the band together,” Myers said. “We are still in the process of looking for people.”
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/15/2014 under the headline "Florida Players theater company to include musical in lineup"
