The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – Recent College of Idaho theatre arts graduate Edith Dull participated in her first theatrical performance on Dayton's Liberty Theater stage as a nine-year-old. That experience set her on her current educational path that she's hoping will extend to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

This weekend, Dull is hoping her fellow Idaho actors will experience the same enthusiastic support and encouragement that she grew up with on the Liberty stage. On July 18 and 19, Dull will direct the original, comedic musical, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, described as a fusion of opera and Broadway.

As a DHS graduate herself, Dull thought alumni weekend was the perfect time to bring the show to Dayton.

"I always received such positive feedback in Dayton. The crowds gave off good vibes, they always had great comments, and we had packed shows. I remember not being able to leave because the audience always wanted to talk with us after the shows," said Dull.

Dull grew up in Meridian, Ida. and got her first bite from the acting bug during a visit with her grandparents, Grace and Robert Shields, in Dayton, when she was nine. She auditioned for a part in the Missoula Children's Theater production of Treasure Island at The Liberty Theater and was cast as "Male Villager #12."

Dull didn't act again until her freshman year of high school in Meridian, Ida., when she played a nun in school's production of The Sound of Music. She and her mother, Dr. Heidi Shields, moved to Dayton in 2007, during her sophomore year of high school, to be near her grandfather, who was ill.

Dull jumped right back onto the Liberty stage and sang in the chorus for that year's production of Beauty and the Beast.

"They had already cast for the play, but they were kind enough to let the 'new girl' join in the chorus. I was accepted almost instantaneously into the community," Dull said.

In 2008, she played Chava, Tevye's defiant and headstrong daughter, in Fiddler on the Roof. Dull recalls being terrified during the auditions until director Mike Ferrians (who is co-directing this year's Wizard of Oz production) put her at ease.

"Tevye was played by our dear family friend, Steve Edwards. Chava was the role that made me realize that I wanted to perform for the rest of my life," Dull said.

Dull was cast as Lady Larkin, opposite Cougar Henderson, in the Liberty's 2009 production of Once Upon a Mattress.

"It was such a riot! High energy, fun, fast and bright! A great farewell show at the Liberty Theater," Dull said. "I graduated Dayton High School in 2010 and said good-bye to my theatre family."

Following graduation, Dull and her mother re-joined her father back in Meridian, and Dull was accepted into The College of Idaho in Caldwell, where her father is a physics professor. She started out as a biology major, but made the jump to theatre after her freshman year.

"I knew there was more job security in biology – and I thought I would be a dental hygienist – but after seeing a couple of the school productions I knew I wanted to be on stage," she said.

Dull jumped into college theater headfirst and was cast as "Girl" in Hot L Baltimore.

"I thought 'Girl' would be a small part, but it turned out that I was onstage the entire play and had, not just lines, but entire paragraphs to memorize," Dull said. "The experience was nerve-wracking. I really had a hard time learning all the lines. But it didn't scare me off."

Dull was cast in two more college theatre productions and became heavily involved in the music department, where she developed an appreciation for opera.

"I was cast in a role with my own aria, which was a big deal," Dull said. "I have more of a musical theater voice and my theater persona came through in the opera. I made the character funnier than she was supposed to be, but everyone loved it. I added a bit of physical comedy, which isn't really meant to be."

Dull also performed with HomeGrown Theatre, a community theater in Boise, was vice president of the college theatre club, and designed hair and make-up for an entire show. She took a directing class her senior year and loved it.

"I've always been interested in telling people what to do!" said Dull, laughing.

Dull graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Theater in May, and hopes to audition and be accepted at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland.

"My ultimate dream is to perform in the Globe Theater in London," she said.

In the immediate future, however, Dull is working with Opera Elect and will spend her summer directing the company's debut production, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.

Dull said fellow C of I alumni, Zachary Buker and Jordan Bowman started the new performance company, Opera Elect, last winter.

"They started the company to help young artists, who were fresh out of college, find work. We want the company to become a stepping for young artists trying to enter the workforce," Dull said.

Buker and Bowman raised $5,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to commission the original Broadway opera one-act play, Tomorrow, Tomorrow. The play was written by E. H. Nary, with music by Joseph Greene.

The romantic comedy features the lives of two roommates, Alex and Jill, both trying to follow their artistic dreams. However, Jill's future as an aspiring opera singer threatens the duo's friendship, and Alex's personal struggles don't help matters.

When asked if the fusion of opera and Broadway is common, Dull said, "Not common at all! It's completely unique to our company."

"A couple of the songs are more operatic, but the show is very much musical theatre. It's fun, bright, fast, and emotional," Dull said. "We have a lot of fun with it – it's playful and family-friendly. The operatic elements are not extremely noticeable. People might say, 'that's some crazy singing!' but they won't necessarily notice it as opera."

Dull said that Buker and Bowman, the show's stars, both have "amazing," specifically trained, opera voices which will be showcased in a 15-minute opera pre-show featuring popular selections from the classical repertoire.

"It's amazing to hear such a HUGE voice come from such a tiny person," Dull said, referring to Bowman.

Aside from a showing to friends and family in Boise, Dayton will be the first stop on the show's summer tour.

"We really want feedback – for people to tell us what we can improve on and what they like," Dull said. "This is a maiden voyage for all of us. It's a new show, new music and a new company. Dayton has always been great about giving feedback and I think they will love a show like this."

Performances of Tomorrow Tomorrow are at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for adults. They can be purchased online at http://www.libertytheater.org or by calling the Liberty Theater at (509) 382-1380.