Theater Preview: Rachael Dorman, Child Wrangler for 5th Avenue’s “Oliver!” talks kids

KIDS! GLORIOUS KIDS!!! The 5th Avenue Theatre’s annual family friendly show for 2013 is Lionel Bart’s OLIVER! based on the Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist.

What is between 8 and 15 years of age, eats constantly, sings, dances, acts, and needs constant supervision? The 48 children who are cast members of the upcoming musical, Oliver!, at The 5th Avenue Theatre! 48? Does the show have 48 children’s roles in it?

Not exactly. There is a girls’ ensemble and a boys’ ensemble who will perform every show, and then there are two sets of Fagin’s gang, each with its own Oliver, that will perform three shows at a time, each. As Rachael Dorman, the head kid wrangler, says, “The Fagin gang sings four songs: I’d Do Anything, Pick a Pocket, It’s a Fine Life, Be Back Soon. They come in for their scene and it’s song/scene, song/scene. It’s a big chunk for kids to be in at one time. And they’re doing great. All of ‘em. It’s ever-changing and ever-growing.”

Rachael was the tour manager in 2012 for the 5th Avenue’s educational touring company – Adventure Musical Theater Touring Company when they staged Klondike.  She traveled to 65 locations across the state with this touring cast of 5th Avenue and was responsible for getting the show built and set up on time for hundreds of elementary and Jr. High school kids.  She was a production assistant and Child Wrangler at The 5th for Cinderella (2011), ELF – The Musical (2012), The Music Man (2013), and Secondhand Lions (2013).  So, she has a ton of experience to be the head wrangler for this show.

Rachael’s ultimate goal at this time is to work her way up to Stage Manager, having started as a Seattle Repertory Theatre intern in 2009 after graduating Southern Virginia University and growing up in shows as an actor at Village Kidstage, Seattle Children’s Theater and Studio East. “My SVU degree was as a technical theater major: lighting, set, stage management, and I loved stage management,” she says.

“The next step in stage management is being an assistant stage manager. I want to keep growing in stage management. It’s something I love. Even on the bad days, I love my job, and not a lot of people say that. Creating something magical that is changing people’s lives. It’s amazing to be a part of that. In stage management you get to be a part of every aspect.”

Child wrangling is one of the responsibilities that fall under the stage management department. So, we were interested in what exactly goes into that job, and what the kids have to deal with when they get into a huge musical like Oliver!.

To get this enormous cast of children, auditions were held all over malls in Western Washington, from Everett down to Olympia. Every single one is local, and one cast member even comes from Camano Island. There is a lot of travelling for these kids!

Rachael describes, “We come in a week before rehearsals begin, prep the show, the packets of how to keep your kids healthy and safe, sign them in, sign them out, and contact sheets and calendars. Because we have so many kids, they came in a week before the adults and just rehearsed music with the conductor Joel Fram and assistant music director Christopher Littlefield. From 4-7pm after school.

“Generally they go to school and rehearse from 3-6pm, and not every day. The gangs come a lot. Weekends generally 10-2. Weekdays, they are tired from long days. While we don’t provide snacks, we instruct parents to bring water and snacks. We also have parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles who come and help.

“Our parents are a huge part of it. It’s hard to hang around from 3-6pm. We have carpools set up, and parents who have to drop other kids off at soccer practice. It’s a commitment and a sacrifice, which means a lot. They become friendly and go hang out with each other during rehearsal.

“The other thing that’s really hard is they get the schedule the night before just like the adults do. Like the adults, you can be called any time and our rehearsal day is 10am-6pm every day. You can be called any time during that day. But parents don’t know which kids are called until the night before.

“We have a parent meeting before we start and tell them what the commitment is. This is what we need. And they all do it. Also, we don’t let the kids come with a fever; we can’t get 47 other kids get sick.”

Rachael describes more particularly the details of her job functions as a child wrangler. There are three wranglers on this show. “I know all the kids’ singing and dancing and lines! When they’re rehearsing, and they are with the choreographer and conductor, I write down their blocking. We make run sheets for ourselves so we know what kid has to be where, enter from where, with what prop, what costume. We check that they have everything. And make sure they put the prop back where it needs to be for tomorrow.

“They have dressers and hair dept. and make up folks and their own greenroom space and dressing room separate from the adults. If not rehearsing, they’re in dressing room and they do homework, they change costumes, maybe change hair or makeup, or quiet games, or watch on a monitor.

“We bring them up to the stage, make sure they’re prepared at the right time at the right spot. And we have to be careful navigating backstage; things are moving on and off stage all the time, and I have to watch and make sure they’re safe.

“We’re constantly running downstairs to get some kids and bring other kids back downstairs and check on if the others are ready. It’s a lot of running. Also, the main interface with the parents is child wranglers. I deal with all parents and emails and text messages.”

Rachael remembers how awed she was the first time she looked out from the stage to the 5th Avenue audience and she has seen that same look on these kids’ faces. “They’ve (attended performances of) Cinderella or A Christmas Story and then they get to be on our stage. It’s life changing. This is the biggest thing in these 48 kids’ lives! Happy holidays to these kids!”

The 5th Avenue’s OLIVER! runs from now until Dec 31, 2013. Tickets available HERE!