“It's much better living it than looking at it, Robert.”
A stand-out line in “Being Alive,” one of the songs in the hit musical “Company,” this phrase means it's better to experience something than watch it pass by. For the cast and crew of the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre’s production of the musical, the line rings true.
The theater held its final weekend of “Company” July 9-12 after continuous sold-out shows of the Tony Award-winning musical. The run comes as a huge success for the ART, a relatively underground performing arts venue in Gainesville.
“Company” follows a 35-year-old bachelor, Robert, on the night of his birthday. Over the course of the musical, his married friends showcase the highlights and lowlights of wedlocked life, leaving Robert to ruminate over his own love life.
Andrea Young, a 41-year-old risk management analyst, was the assistant director of production and serves as ART’s director of facilities.
She enjoyed the creative process that went into the musical’s production, she said, from the actors’ talent to Brandon Lee’s codirecting.
She wanted audiences, even if they think they don’t like musicals, to give “Company” a try because of how different it is from the typical, run-of-the-mill production — and how diverse the cast is.
“[‘Company’ has been] a really good show to be a part of,” Young said. “We also have a lot of just really amazing, talented people that are either regulars [who] do a lot of theater [or] are brand new to us and have never done anything before.”
From its production to its cast, ART is entirely volunteer run. Everyone shows up and takes part in the history of the theater out of love for the art form.
The theater was established in 1980 and has since found several homes across the community. It even operated as a roaming theater in 2022. In 2023, ART settled into its current space in the Creekside Mall.
Brandon Telg, a 37-year-old UF academic program specialist, made his return to acting in “Company” after a 17-year break. He plays the role of Paul, one of Bobby’s friends and the husband of Amy.
Telg has always been in love with the musical, he said, finding Stephen Sondheim’s lyricism complex and captivating. He watched a behind-the-scenes documentary of the musical’s original cast production during his time in the role, which he took with an abundance of love and excitement.
“This [production] has been a complete blast for me,” he said. “It has been the most rewarding creative experience that I’ve had in a very long time … I value the opportunity to just really study art, and this has been an opportunity for me to dig into this play that I came into the show loving.”
The play has been an empowering and joyful experience for everyone involved in its run. The audience has been given a space to enjoy the arts, the talent has been given recognition and a means for self-expression, and the ART has been met with excitement and love for future possibilities.
Andrew Floyd, a 39-year-old yoga instructor, took on the role of Peter in his debut performance on stage. Peter is another of Bobby’s friends and the husband of Susan.
Floyd has never performed live before, but he said his loved ones encouraged him to shoot for his dreams and step out of his comfort zone. His first audition landed him his first-ever role, a momentous feat and opportunity. He feels as though the role has transformed his own journey of growth, and he’s felt encouraged to continue his acting career, he said.
“It’s been interesting to portray a character that I don’t feel like I am in normal life,” Floyd said. “Peter is intended to come off as macho, suave, fearless … Although I can consider myself some of those mindsets at times, it’s very hard to embody that in real existence. So to have a few minutes to play it on a stage and get people to experience [it], maybe they can connect with [it].”
Contact Mackenzie Haas at mhaas@alligator.org.
