Drake Park’s outdoor stage is set to transform into a Greek-inspired paradise with nearly sold-out performances of “Mamma Mia” Friday and Saturday. The musical is the perfect choice for the venue, said director Rachel Robinson, who makes her directorial debut for Theater in the Park this season, a decadelong tradition sponsored by Lay It Out Events. “I think there’s something so fun about literally being outside and once the sun goes down, being under the stars and next to the water,” she said.
Environmental factors serve to support the storytelling. The city park and adjoining Deschutes River set the scene for the production with its celebratory atmosphere, Robinson said. And unlike a formal venue where the audience may be separated the cast by an orchestra pit, spectators will be situated near the action.
“Hopefully, by the end of the night everybody who is in the audience feels like they were a guest at the wedding at Donna’s tavern, you know, having a good time, too,” Robinson said. A fresh addition to Bend’s nightlife: Hasta que Olvidemos Stephanie Von Aydan was drawn to auditions because she wanted to have a good time, she said. “‘Mamma Mia’ is always such a great time because it has great music.
There’s not really too much of a complicated storyline. So it’s one of those shows that you can just fully involve yourself in," Von Aydan said. But while some may write the musical off as superficial, Von Aydan and Robinson agree that deeper messages run beneath the surface.
“There’s heart in this show," Robinson said. “I have found so much more depth in (it) than I expected." Von Aydan said she appreciates how the show paints the mother-daughter relationship in adulthood.
At this life stage, it’s no longer about raising a child but watching them grow and mature. “You don’t think it’s deep, and then suddenly it goes there and it’s really refreshing,” Von Aydan said. “The whole story is really about connections — the connections that we have with everybody in our life and it’s really beautiful to watch.
” Actors in Theater in the Park's 2024 production of 'Mamma Mia' strike a pose, from left, Emily Cady as Rosie, Stephanie Von Aydan as Donna and Victoria Schaad as Tanya. Dropping In: Since when do people with Peter Pan Syndrome want grandkids? Von Aydan plays the mother figure role of Donna, making her the first person of color in a lead role for Theater in The Park, she said. The actor has sought greater Indigenous representation through her involvement in Bend’s theater community with past performances in “West Side Story, “Wizard of Oz, “Shrek the Musical” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” among others.
“I have been doing theater (in Bend) a long time, and I haven’t always been treated fairly or given the same opportunities," Von Aydan said. "But just in my experience alone, I can see a change and a shift in Bend and in the theater community." Earlier this year, Von Aydan assumed the role of the villainous sea witch in the Tower Theatre's production of Disney’s 1989 animated film “The Little Mermaid.
" The character is inspired by drag queen, actor and singer, Divine. "Mamma Mia" cast members, from left, Emily Cady as Rosie, Victoria Schaad as Tanya and Stephanie Von Aydan as Donna. In her biography, the actor includes a statement acknowledging the impact the LGBTQ+ and drag community have made on the entertainment industry.
She states that their contributions have reminded spectators to remain hopeful, bold and young at heart. “To do another show where you have songs like ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Dancing Queen,’ where these communities have taken them as their anthems, it’s another ode to the queer community, to say, you’ve had an impact on the arts and we see it,” Von Aydan said. Theater in the Park actors listen to Director Rachel Robinson, top left, give instructions before a rehearsal of “Mamma Mia” at Cascades Academy in Tumalo Wednesday afternoon.
Robinson credits the contributions the cast and crew have had on the final outcome of "Mamma Mia." “I really feel like casting is 90% of the job," she said, adding this includes set designers, costumer designers and choreographers. "If you have the right group of people it's easy.
You have a positive collaborative environment where everybody is seen and heard, and we all bring our ideas together.".
