Debuting Artist: Blake Dorris

In high school, a friend of mine in Freshman math class had theatre class the period before, and would always talk about how much fun it was. I needed an arts credit, so I decided I’d give it a shot. Then I saw that our Fall musical Sophomore year was Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite movies as a kid. I auditioned and was cast, and that had me hooked.

I had heard about OpenStage from some of my theatre friends in Cheyenne, and then I did a show with Brian, who is also in Reefer Madness. Knowing a few people that were eyeing these auditions helped put it on my radar, and having seen last season’s Big Fish made me want to work on an OpenStage show.

I am playing Ralph, who is basically a comedy version of an addict. I am so excited to work on this show because it’s just big, dumb fun, and everyone in the cast is all in on that, and it’s just a blast.

I was nervous stepping into a new company with a group of people I’ve never met or worked with, knowing only one person in the cast. But every single person has been genuine and friendly and welcoming, and I was delighted by how quickly they all felt like old friends.

This character, and the script at large, are really big, taking on what could be difficult subjects with a gleeful, irreverent grandiosity. So walking the line between playing the dark truth of some horrific moment, but also throwing most of the seriousness out the window, all while trying to go as big and, often, as crazy as possible – it’s a lot to take in.

It’s actually astonishing how relevant this is. As silly and “just for fun” as it is, there’s an underlying critique of pearl-clutching purity culture. No spoilers, but the message is pretty bluntly portrayed in the ending beats of the show, and the tongue-in-cheek sentiments work as a surprisingly biting commentary on current political issues.

What is your favorite moment or scene in the show, and why does it stand out to you?

It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, but I am partial to the closing number. As referenced above, I think it’s where the play is able to make a serious point while still being funny, the kind of thing that you’ll laugh at but also may feel a bit of a drop in your stomach. And the song is a really fun, energetic number, so it’s got a great alchemy of attributes to it.