Talent in the Spotlight: An Interview with Hannah Mahtat and Paige Suthard about "Spamalot"

Courtesy of Paige Suthard

By Josee Li

With the final production of Sock n’ Buskin (SnB) approaching on May 2-4, lead actress Hannah Mahtat and stage director Paige Suthard preview what to expect as well as reflect on their passion for theater.
 

1. Can you give a brief summary of what Spamalot is about?
   
   Hannah: Spamalot is a comedic musical that was inspired by the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It’s about King Arthur and his quest to find the Holy Grail. Arthur travels with his servant Patsy and recruits several knights. Throughout their journey, they meet several characters including the Lady of the Lake, the Black Knight, the Knights who say ni, and many more who guide them along their way. Spamalot is a hilarious show, and it’s really hard to explain because there is so much going on.
   
   Paige: The show is very long and complicated, but it is basically about King Arthur who recruits knights to be part of the Round Table on the quest to find the Holy Grail. It is a very fun show with huge musical numbers and lots of dancing. This is going to be one of the biggest shows that SnB has ever done. It is also going to be different than what people are used to with our shows. It is something people don’t want to miss!
   
   
2. What character do you play and what is your favorite part about your role?
   
   Hannah: I play the Lady of the Lake. My favorite part about her is that she is a mystical diva and is not afraid of anything. She is very confident and has a ton of fun on stage. Playing Lady of the Lake definitely gets me out of my comfort zone and allows me to sing and act my heart out!
   
   
3. What work has been done with the play so far?
   
   Hannah: The musical just started and we have only had about two rehearsals so far. We have started working on learning the music for full cast numbers and the dancers have started learning some choreography.
   
   
4. Why do you think people should come out and see this play?
   
   Hannah: I think people should come out and see Spamalot because they will thoroughly enjoy it. The comedy and the acting are absolutely hilarious and guaranteed to make people laugh and even want to see it again. So many people work extremely hard to put on a show, and it would be amazing to have as many people come out as possible to support us!
   
   
5. Why are you passionate about theater?
   
   Hannah: I love theater so much because it allows you to forget about the many problems in the world and become a different person. It is amazing to be on stage and look down at the crowd and see how much they appreciate your work. There are some stories that can only be told in live theater. I have been involved with theater for years, and the shows and people in the community are truly incredible and have made me into the performer and person that I am today.
   
   Paige: I have always been very passionate about theater from a very young age. I think that when a performance has the ability to make someone truly feel something, that is so magical. Theater has the power to take the average person out of their busy lives for just two hours. Every musical or play is special and has their own meaning and that is what makes theater so unique! I love working with SnB on shows because everyone is equally as passionate about the arts and because of this passion we are able to put on truly remarkable works of art.
   
   
6. What has been your favorite play in your entire acting career at north?
   
   Hannah: It is hard to pick a favorite musical but Big Fish was personally my favorite. I loved how fun it was to be a part of, and I absolutely loved the music and dancing in the show.
   
   Paige: My favorite musical would be The Secret Garden, which was the first musical I Assistant Stage managed, and my favorite play would be Gardens, which is a play that our old director Sandy [Chantry] wrote. That play was a show that was very interesting because we had to re-cast the show in the middle so we had to relearn our lines because all of the parts changed. We also performed this show at The International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, which was such an amazing experience!
   
   
7. Being in SnB seems like a big commitment - sometimes you guys even rehearse until 10 PM on a school night. How has your dedication contributed to the entire team’s success?
   
   Hannah: Sock n Buskin is definitely a huge commitment. I have dedicated so much of my time at rehearsals just as my fellow SnB members have. Theater takes so much hard work and dedication. The harder we work, the better the show, and the end goal is to put on amazing shows. Although rehearsals are draining and sometimes do run until 10 or 11 at night, it is completely worth it in the end. I have for sure grown as an individual and learned so many valuable life skills about hard work and my work ethic through SnB. SnB is one huge group of dedicated people, and we all work extremely hard together to put on shows!
   
   Paige: So as a club, we have many rehearsals. We have rehearsal from 3:00-6:00 four days a week. On Fridays, we have rehearsal from 3:00-9:00 with an hour dinner break. During “tech week” (which is the week before the show when we run the show with all the technical aspects), we are at school until around 10:00. Every Saturday from 8:00-4:00, SnB members come to school to build and paint sets. All of the hard work that we as a club put into the shows really shows. Everyone is so dedicated and puts so much effort into everything we do. It doesn’t matter if they are a lead part or someone who moves the sets around, everyone is always working so hard and having so much fun at the same time!
   
   
8. This will be the last play you put on as a CRN student. How do you feel?
   
   Hannah: I am going to miss performing in Sock n Buskin so, so much. It is crazy to think that this is going to be my last show at North. As sad as it is, I am super excited and I hope this is the best one yet!

 
Sock ‘n’ Buskin presents Spamalot on May 2, 3, and 4 at 7 PM each day.

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Hannah Mahtat