Maude Adams Theater Hub Celebrates Five Years with Matilda the Musical

The Maude Adams Theater Hub (MATH) returns to The Orpheum Performing Arts Center for its annual 4th of July weekend production. This year, MATH presents Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, with shows scheduled for July 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. This is MATH's fifth summer play. In the five years since its opening curtain, MATH has continued to grow, offering unique theater education and entertainment experiences for the community.

Into the Woods is hardly a small undertaking, but that's how MATH began its run of summer performances in 2022. MATH's productions have continued to grow over the past five years, drawing talent from the area with varying levels of experience and age, and always coming together to deliver exciting community performances. Over 60 performers were vying for parts ranging from ages 3 to 63 for last year's production of The Little Mermaid. The expanded interest led to the decision to "double cast" the show across four performances. "We had 50 people on stage, and we were doing double rehearsals," recalls Amy Scheibe, Executive Director of the Catskill Mountain Foundation (CMF) and Creative Director of MATH. "In the eye of that hurricane were about 12 young ladies, who ranged in age from maybe 8 to 14; they were the calm of the storm. They kept their dressing room immaculate. They vacuumed it every night. They packed it all up every night, and they led with such composure that I turned to our director, Liz Piccoli, and said, "What do you think of Matilda? I think we need to…give them a play," (one can just imagine Matilda herself vacuuming her dressing room each night). "They were just so rapt with the process, we didn't even look back." 

Rehearsals for Matilda have been in full swing as the cast and crew prepare for the big weekend. Director Liz Picolli returns to helm the production, which features a cast of 34, 10 of whom are new to the Orpheum stage, and of course, the "8" plus Matildas, Astrid Conybeare, Avery Kashman, Safiya Doran, Maryella Lipinsky, Laila Munson, Ben Leto, Raina Rabuffo, Lucy Lynch, and Adeline Heartquist. 

One of the main changes over the past five years at MATH has been the expansion of its Theater Explorers camp, held for two weeks every August. "We've been able to focus on education in theater and develop the Theater Explorers," says Schiebe. "This year we're doing fables. Each little group will create its own play around a fable, and we bring in high-level instructors and acting, production, and sets and costumes." Young actors who started out at the camp five years ago have now become counselors assisting the newest group of aspiring thespians. "It's pretty amazing," remarks Scheibe. "It's become very intergenerationally focused, and it's really what you want; to see a community want to learn, but then give back what they've learned." 

Community-focused growth through theater and the arts has always been MATH's goal. "I think we've just grown it into something that was the dream from the beginning— to offer premium arts education for free. Often, when you're in a children's theater production like this, kids and their parents have to pay to be in the play. It's just the way it is because it's so competitive." But MATH has, and continues to, distinguish itself from that trend, all while also bringing quality productions to the Mountaintop every year. "What we really do is focus on theater, training, and community enrichment. That's the goal we've achieved in five years." 

For tickets and information, visit www.catskillmtn.org.