It’s not every day that a fictional story taking place in an alternate reality can be considered relevant to the here and now. But that’s exactly how director Chad Smith feels about M.A.D. Theatre’s production of Zanna, Don’t, playing at the Hillsborough Community College Studio Theatre in Ybor City.
“I honestly wasn’t familiar with the script before the directing position was offered to me,” Smith says. “But I researched it and immediately fell in love with it.”
Zanna, Don’t is a musical comedy that takes place in a high school in a universe where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexual people are minorities. The main character, Zanna, has magic power that helps influence love connections. When a heterosexual relationship blossoms in the school, the entire town is up in arms over the “immoral behavior.”
“I think good art should reflect the now in society,” Smith says, “especially considering the recent rash of suicides affecting gay youth. When you take a show that deals with bullying and coming to terms with you are, but that also teaches tolerance, that needs to be said right now!”
The production, which opens Thursday, Jan. 13 and runs through Jan. 23, features a cast of nine actors from all walks of life and all ages. That diversity was more of a pleasantry than a challenge, for the director, who says that Zanna, Don’t is his first full-length directing job.
“Theater people are crazy and we’re lucky that our cast is full of such an amazing, energetic group of people,” Smith says “But we do have to handle the show delicately because we’re dealing with serious subject matter in a light-hearted way. It’s written very cleverly. There’s a lot of slapstick and we’ve found the balance between stereotypes and reality”
Creating an alternate universe where heterosexuality is considered taboo wasn’t as difficult as one may expect, according to Smith. Other productions have gone “over the top” with gay themes—rainbow flags and bright, colorful sets—to set the alternate reality. But Smith says he elected to go a different route.
“We’re more punk than pink,” he says. “This isn’t a Gay Pride Parade. We’re trying to make the atmosphere more subdued.”
While this is Smith’s time directing a full-length theatrical feature, he’s no stranger to theater and the arts. He has performed since he was a child and has two degrees in theater. He relocated to Tampa from Titusville, Fla., five years ago and lives in South Tampa with his partner and this production’s stage manager, Sam, Kohler, who he met as an actor with M.A.D. two years ago.
“I was cast as the gay character in The Full Monty and they cast this kid as my boyfriend,” he laughs.” We started dating and we’re still together. So M.A.D. has a special place in our hearts.”
Directing a musical can present different challenges, especially if a live band is involved. But Smith says the cast and the band have worked very well together in rehearsals, thanks mostly to the music direction of Thomas D. Guthrie. Smith says he turned the cast over to Guthrie during the first few weeks of rehearsal so they could learn the music.
“He’s been amazing with them,” Smith says “He not only taught them the music and got them to sound great, but he’s giving them voice lessons throughout. He doesn’t just show you how to do something but he shows you why you should do it that way.”
Guthrie picked out the band members, most of whom he has worked with before. Only one song in the show is canned music, and that’s because it required a techno beat a band can’t produce without digital help. Without giving too much detail, Smith says the song is during the climax of the story and is presents a powerful moment in the production.
When asked if the musical comedy genre of theater was a favorite of his, Smith surprisingly said it was not.
“I like this play and it’s a lot of fun,” he says. “But I’m a sucker for sad epic musicals where someone dies at the end. I don’t know why. I adore Miss Saigon—I think that was my first love. Now I’m in love with Bear, a new musical from Off-Broadway that deals with two closeted boys in an all-boys boarding school.”
While Zanna, Don’t is a comedy, it will offer a powerful message—especially at the end. Smith says that M.A.D. Theatre will collect donations after each show to give to the Trevor Project, which battles gay bullying and suicides.
For more information on the production and to purchase tickets, visit MadTheatre.com or call the box office at 813-386-6173.
