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The Taming of the BeastPrep Players Tackle Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate”The Prep Players andI referred to “Kiss Me,Kate” as The Beastbecause it challenged us inso many ways. Cole Porter isnever happy with simply onekey per song; each must haveseven obscure keys in whichcomposers rarely ever evenconsider to write. There is ahuge swing dance number—not a skill the cast came intothe process with. On top ofall this, half the scenes arestraight out of Shakespeare—meter, couplets, and all.So, how does one tame sucha beast? With a whole lot of“Yes, let’s!”There is a game we play inrehearsal called “Yes, let’s!”that captures the essence ofeverything that I ask of allinvolved in any Prep Playersshow. The cast gathers in thespace and, when moved, eachmember in turn invites thegroup to join in an activity—any activity. Every person inthe room must accept theinvitation and engage inwhatever has been proposed—without question.So, picture thirty-fivestudents spread out in aclassroom that has beencleared of all its desks.Unprompted, one invitesthe rest to hunt moose, andthey all grab their imaginaryhunting caps and gunsand begin to stalk game inthe wilderness. In the nextmoment, another declares“Now everyone dance theMacarena.” This they all do,until the next among themcalls the whole room tomeditation. As quickly asthe room had erupted in themadness of a silly dance fad,it transforms into a peaceful,contemplative hum.Everyone leaps intoeverything that is askedwithout hesitation. There isno self-consciousness, no ego,nothing but pure joy in everyridiculous thing that they do.When I selected “Kiss Me,Kate” as our spring musical,I essentially said to the cast,“Hey guys, let’s take on thehardest play ever and turn itinto something wonderful!”Without wavering each ofthem, screamed, “Yes, lets!”and leapt into the processwith abandon.For all the preparation I doahead of time—the blocking,choreography, scheduling,designing—the show cannotbecome a reality without thededication, willingness, talent,and effort of the Prep Players.They take all that I give them22 Prep Today