Michelle Guefen will star in J*Company’s upcoming production of Hello, Dolly! at the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, May 3-12. For tickets and information go to www.sdcjc.org/jcompany.
By Michelle Guefen
LA JOLLA, California — This May, I will be embodying the role of Dolly Levi in J*Company’s production of Hello, Dolly! It is the story of a modern matchmaker, Dolly, who joyously arranges everything from luncheon parties, to furniture, to love. She has her heart set on marrying the wealthy Horace Vandergelder and cleverly arranges things to get Horace to fall in love with her, all the while matchmaking three other couples. The show is filled with exciting, turn-of-the-century dance numbers and a great deal of ironic humor.
I’ve been involved with J*Company for 12 years now, and “Hello, Dolly” will be my 22nd and final show. I am thrilled to be sharing this last experience with many of my friends who I’ve grown up with at J*Company, but I’m also enjoying getting to know and befriend all of the new cast members.
My favorite part about theatre, besides the sense of invincibility I feel when I’m onstage performing, is seeing how a group of kids come together to tell a story. During the first rehearsal of every show, I look around and see a group of kids, some new cast members and some veterans, sitting in a circle, getting to know one another. Somehow, a few weeks later, this same group of kids comes together to create a show. We’re no longer strangers meeting each other for the first time; we’re actors who work together and support each other to tell our audience a story.
Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This saying describes J*Company and the shows it puts on. Theatre seems like an individual endeavor – you learn your own lines, choreography, and music and simply perform. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Theatre is truly a communal effort. Without an ensemble, a show would crumble to pieces. Actors feed off of each other’s energy and support one another, all while telling a story.
Because theatre is a communal effort, J*Company has taught me how to be a true team player — how to understand, support, and learn from my fellow actors. I’ve learned how to be confident in my own skin, how to speak publicly with ease, how to multitask, and most impressively, how to memorize effectively (my classmates still marvel at how quickly I can learn and understand new concepts and vocabulary). Most importantly, what J*Company has given me is an understanding of my goals, my values, and myself. Playing so many different roles — funny, evil, loving, outgoing — has helped me discover many facets of myself I didn’t even know existed. Theatre has given me so much that I even chose to write about it in my college essay.
For five years I did shows with Becky Cherlin Baird, the founder of J*Company. She introduced me to the world of theatre and ensured that I fell in love with it. Then came Joey Landwehr, the current director who I’ve been doing shows with for seven years now. I can confidently say that I’ve never admired someone as much as I admire Joey. His passion and love for theatre is evident at every audition, callback, rehearsal and show. What amazes me is his ability to transmit this love to us, the young artists. He’s by far the most optimistic person I know; I’ve seen him tackle even the most uncomfortable of situations with a genuine smile on his face. Joey is truly my source of inspiration and admiration and I can only hope that I will be as loved as he is as I grow up.
I can’t thank J*Company enough for all the love, guidance, and support that it has provided me with throughout my childhood. Here, I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime, been influenced by remarkable mentors, and collected unforgettable memories. As I form my last J*Company memory, I only hope that people will choose to embark on this theatrical journey alongside me and the entire cast of Hello, Dolly.
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Guefen is a senior at San Diego Jewish Academy