If you’ve seen the Newman University theater production of “Murder on the Menu” or plan to attend the music department’s upcoming “Between the Lines” musical, you may notice some familiar faces.
Three of the dinner-theater stars of “Murder on the Menu,” which continues Oct. 25-26, are also actors in “Between the Lines,” which hits the Newman stage Nov. 1-2, 8-9.
Students Daniel Cubias, Luke Jones and Dannicka McGrath share a Q&A-style inside look into juggling twice the number of rehearsals, lines and laughs.
Upcoming performances:
- “Murder on the Menu” 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25
- “Murder on the Menu” 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26
- “Between the Lines” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1
- “Between the Lines” 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2
- “Between the Lines” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2
- “Between the Lines” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8
- “Between the Lines” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
Dannicka McGrath: From Emily Dickinson-quoting daughter to goth, mermaid, fairy
Meet McGrath, a junior theater major with a concentration in technical production.
Q: How long have you done theater plays and musicals?
A: I have been involved in plays since my freshman year of high school, but I was mainly behind the scenes. The first play I auditioned for was “All My Sons,” and this is my first musical. I love helping a story come to life; it’s amazing to see the process and how actors grow into their characters.
Q: How many performances have you been a part of at Newman?
A: My freshman year, I assistant-directed and stage-managed “Dracula” and stage-managed “The Little Mermaid,” the 24-hour theater project and “The Office.” I played Lydia in “All My Sons,” stage-managed “Treasure Island,” and assistant stage-managed “The Wedding Singer” my sophomore year. I’ve also been in the Sloppy Joe Improv Troupe since my freshman year and part of the shop crew.
Q: What made you decide to try out for each of the plays? What characters do you play?
A: As soon as I read “Murder on the Menu,” I fell in love with it. I was on the murder mystery choosing committee, so I read it before anyone in the cast. My favorite aspect of Alexis is that she is so out of the box. You never know what she thinks or will say or do.
For “Between the Lines,” I originally went to talk to the director about stage-managing the musical, and she talked me into auditioning. I play Jules (a goth), Kyrie (a mermaid/siren) and a fairy.
Q: What has it been like to balance both productions?
A: Balancing two shows, classes and three jobs (student worker, teaching swim lessons and being a scare actor for Field of Screams) has been a struggle. Good time management is a must! I don’t know how well I’m managing, but I’m managing. Lines have always been relatively easy for me to memorize, and I feel like it helps that the productions are happening in two different spaces. It helps me differentiate them.
Q: Some guests have seen you in “Murder on the Menu.” Why would you recommend guests see “Between the Lines?”
A: “Between the Lines” is an amazing production. It’s fun and relevant and reflects the hopes many of us had as kids to live a fairytale and understand why reality is sometimes better.
Daniel Cubias: From detective to tap-dancing dog
Meet senior Cubias, a biology major with a pre-medicine concentration.
Q: How long have you done theater plays and musicals?
A: I’ve been doing both for three years. I like doing performances because it is fun to dress up and imbue your own spin into a character, such as the way they talk, the relationships they have or even the way they walk!
Q: How many performances have you been a part of at Newman?
A: Three musicals, five plays, three spring shows, and about 30 Sloppy Joe Improv shows.
Q: What made you decide to try out for each of the plays? What characters do you play?
A: I watched “Café Noir” my first year when I wasn’t into plays, and I thought, “That looks so fun.” Four years later, here I am playing the detective role. I think my favorite part about Major is the extreme goofiness of his lines. He is very smart, very knowledgeable of all the characters, but he says some very out-of-left-field things that seem implausible, but are revealed to be somewhat true later. I also enjoy the freedom that comes with the role. In every performance, I throw in a new thing to say or do, and no matter what I do, it fits with the character.
I first auditioned for “The Little Mermaid” two years ago, and I had a blast doing it. Ever since, I have done all the musicals even if they are small parts. In “Between the Lines,” I play Ryan, a stereotypical high school jock, and (the best character in the show) Frump, a tap-dancing dog in love with a princess.
Q: What has it been like to balance both productions?
A: To be honest, I am going day by day, haha. I look at the rehearsal schedule about eight times an hour to make sure I am not missing rehearsal for either one. But in terms of learning lines, it doesn’t really overlap between shows, as I am playing drastically different characters in both. However, most of what I did spend time on was learning staging, choreography and music, as well as learning the characters and trying to find new things for each of them. It has been tough, but not impossible.
Q: Why would you recommend guests see “Between the Lines?”
A: It’s fun. If I’m having fun on stage, then I think people will have fun in the audience. Also, come watch me act like a dog, I took a lot of inspiration from the two crusty-eye white dogs in my life, Chabelito and Muffin.
Thank you to the directors for casting me in the parts that I am in. It’s a good way to send off the final fall semester of my college career.
Luke Jones: From coroner to troll, doctor, sound effects
Introducing Jones, a first-year student who is majoring in art.
Q: How long have you done theater plays and musicals?
A: I have done theater since my sophomore year in high school. It is such a fun thing to be a part of. I like theater because it can be done by anyone, not just a select few.
Q: How many performances have you been a part of at Newman?
A: “Murder on the Menu” is my first performance, not counting the Sloppy Joe Improv Troupe.
Q: What made you decide to try out for each of the plays? What characters do you play?
A: I love murder mysteries and just wanted to continue being in theater. Dr. Bullfinger is fun to play because he is so arrogant and “definitely” knows what he is doing.
Musicals are always fun to be in and this one is different than all others I have done. I play Martin, Troll, process server, Principal Hess, voice mailbox, doctor and the phone ding noise.
Q: What has it been like to balance both productions?
A: It has been long. The lines are not the worst part because “Murder on the Menu” is a lot of lines while “Between the Lines” is not that many. The choreography is the hard part.
Q: Some guests have seen you perform in “Murder on the Menu.” Why would you recommend guests see “Between the Lines?”
A: It is less expensive than the play and has a fun amount of caricatures.
Reserve your tickets
Newman University is offering two more performances of “Murder on the Menu” Oct. 25-26, followed by the “Between the Lines” musical Nov. 1-9.
