Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities graduate Matlyn Rybak chose to spend her summer in Muncie in order be a part of Muncie Civic Theatre’s Legally Blonde. The ensemble member is getting comfortable with her singing while preparing for her future career in theater.
Q: Can you tell me about the plan?
A: Legally Blonde is the story about a young woman who is an outgoing sorority girl, kind of a ditz and she follows her one true love, Warner Hunnington III to Harvard Law School because she believes so strongly in how much she loves him. But, along the way, she realizes she can help people and do things for herself other than be a beautiful woman.
Q: Are you guys basically following the plot that everyone knows and loves in the movie?
A: The movie is a little bit different than the play because in the play Emmett is a much more interesting character and he puts so much more out there for Elle. Also, the ending is a really big difference, and it’s pretty important.
Q: Why did you decide to audition?
A: I actually want to go into theater and be an actress, so it is important to me to use my summer wisely and get all the experience I can. And I also wanted to do this because I really, really love this play. I wanted to be in it, no matter what.
Q: Why do you love the play so much?
A: I know it because when I was really young my friend and I used to listen to the music on the bus on the way to school together and the music was just really fun and so I kind of fell in love with the music. When I watched the musical it was really lovely and lively.
Q: How has the show been going so far?
A: Our opening night went really well and I was actually told by some of the other cast members that it was the best opening night that they had ever been a part of, so that is pretty encouraging and the audience has been pretty good so far.
Q: Was there anything crazy that you guys have had to deal with?
A: There’s this really quick outfit, costume change and it’s actually my responsibility to get the main girl a new dress on stage and the first night my fingers were shaking so hard I almost messed it up. But really, it’s been really solid.
Q: What is it like being up on stage?
A: Before you go up on stage there’s always like every actor has these nervous tendencies, for me it’s alway, I forget my first line and I have this gut wrenching feeling. You know that when you get up on stage you’re going to be fine. For me being on stage is really important for me, I really just love the feeling. That nervous feeling is actually what a lot of actors like about being up on stage.
Q: For the audience, what are you hoping they get out of the play?
A: This play is really uplifting and I hope people leave with that feeling, that they’ve just watched someone’s dream come true.
Q: Since you are looking at doing this as a career, what are you hoping you take away from this experience?
A: I’ve already learned so much... I have learned just from listening from the other actors and from my director. I’ve learned what positioning on a stage means and how to fight on a stage, there are right ways and wrong ways to fight on a stage. The most important thing I have taken away is actually knowing how to sing because I was not very confident in my singing voice before this musical.
Q: You don’t live in Muncie right now?
A: My brother actually was a Ball State student and so I live with him because I just really wanted to be a part of this, and I’m glad that I was. I’m really excited because my family is coming down. They always come to my plays and they don’t have to. Sunday they are coming down for the matinee, Sunday is also my birthday. I’m so excited, I haven’t seen them in weeks.
Q: What do you think they are going to say?
A: Actually I think they are going to be really surprised by the calibar of the other actors. I think they will be surprised about how well they can sing and dance. I hope that they will be impressed by that, I think so.
Q: What about you, do you think they will be impressed by you?
A: Oh, maybe. I get to play a snob in the play so they may be impressed that I get to be just horribly mean to other people. I’ve been told by other cast members that they just hate my character even though she doesn’t even really have a big part.
