Showtime Theatre Productions makes its stage debut with a variety show written by the company’s founder.
“Life and How to Change It” will be performed Sept. 23-24 at Beatniks on Conkey’s the Other Side in Hammond.
“This is a smaller theater. Different audience members, older people and younger people or teenagers all deal with the same sort of situations that go on in their personal lives,” said Khyel Sherman Roberson, writer and director of “Life and How to Change It.”
“I decided to write a variety show that touched base on most of these situations, funny or confrontational, and how to overcome them.”
“Life and How to Change It” features songs such as the Beatles’ “Honey Pie” as the musical backdrop for a tap dance number and “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from “Cinderella.”
“There’s not necessarily a story line. All of the scenes are different. All of the scenes deal with different characters and different themes, and all of the songs are different from each other,” said Roberson, of Calumet City, Illinois.
“It’s how to deal with things happening in individuals’ lives.”
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The power of love and friendship is brought to life through music and dance performed by a cast consisting of Roberson; Emily Gulbrandsen, of Hobart; Chloe Mimms, of Chicago; and T.J. Patrick, of South Holland, Illinois.
“Each one of the cast members have been great to work with. They put their all and heart into this show and they’re very excited to show other people what they really worked hard on. Naturally, I’m excited to show it with them,” said Roberson.
“I wanted to direct a show that made not only the cast feel vulnerable but the audience feel vulnerable too — to make everyone see it’s OK to cry when you want to cry. It’s OK to laugh when you want to laugh. It’s OK however you feel. Basically it’s all right to be who you are.
“That the motto that I personally live by so it was a great way to get people to think about that aspect.”
Roberson, a veteran of productions on Beatniks on Conkey’s stage, said the coffeehouse and black box theater’s Other Side provided the perfect spot for “Life and How to Change It.”
“Beatniks on Conkey is not only a place that I’ve been doing shows at since I was 16 but it is a small, intimate space that I think is perfect for a vulnerable show like this that deals with friendship, love and being happy with who you are,” he said.
Roberson graduated in May with a bachelor of fine arts in musical theater from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
Since then he has been focused on Showtime Theatre Productions, which has posted a series of dramatic shorts called “Stories from New York” and a comedic series of skits called “The Scene: The Series” on video-sharing website YouTube.
“We want to focus on original works,” said Roberson, who is also a singer-songwriter, pianist and rapper.
“Ultimately, Showtime Theatre Productions wants to focus on original writings, original plays, original musicals, original films, etc.”
Other productions at Beatniks on Conkey include an encore of Tim Campos’ “Screw It: Doin’ Time on the Line” about working on Ford Motor Co.’s assembly line at 8 p.m. Sept. 30 and Beatnik Entertainment presenting Peter Colley’s “The Mark of Cain” Oct. 20-Nov. 4. Tickets are $15 for each show.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
‘Life and How to Change It’
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 23; 2 p.m. Sept. 24
Where: Beatniks on Conkey’s the Other Side, 420 Conkey St., Hammond
Tickets: $10 adults; free for children
Information: 219-852-0848; http://www.beatniksonconkey.com