Date: Fri 23-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Galotta-Breakfast-Melting

Full Text:

A Makeover For A Feature Film That Defined A Generation

(with photos)

BY SHANNON HICKS

Sixteen years ago, the Wunderkind Director of Eighties Teen Films -- John

Hughes -- released a movie called The Breakfast Club . It starred a group of

teens who had been dubbed "The Brat Pack," including Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson,

Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall.

On the surface the movie was simply about an all-Saturday detention at a high

school where students of very diverse backgrounds -- A Basket Case, A

Criminal, A Jock, A Princess, and A Brain -- were forced to spend several

hours of their life together.

During the two-hour film, viewers would learn why each student had been

sentenced to the detention. There would be some rebellions against the teacher

who was in charge of the detention; there would be more than a few

confrontations between the students; and before the end of the afternoon,

there would be a temporary understanding between the students of each others'

backgrounds.

The film was set in the mid-Eighties and the students spoke very frankly of

their home and social lives. At first appearance, the film is a dark comedy

about teen life. A closer look reveals a film that is really about society and

real life for teens everywhere. The theme of the movie continues to ring true

today.

Brett Galotta understood this underlying theme of The Breakfast Club when it

was suggested the movie be used as a full-length play by the student theatre

group The Melting Pot Players. The Players is comprised of students who attend

high schools in the greater Danbury area. The sponsoring organization for

Melting Pot Players is Danbury Youth Services.

The group meets weekly at St James Church in Danbury, and its mission is to

present skits in various schools that tackle such topics as AIDS, abuse, peer

pressure, drugs, and anything else that plagues teens during some of the

toughest years of their lives.

Last fall, when Ms Galotta took over as the new director of Melting Pot

Players, she decided she wanted the group to present a full-length play in

addition to its skits. Suggestions for which play would be performed was open

to everyone in the group, and one of the very first proposals that came up was

The Breakfast Club . The result of months of work will finally be presented

next weekend, when the Melting Pot Players present a staged version of The

Breakfast Club at St James Church in Danbury.

Ms Galotta, a Newtown resident on a semester-long break from her studies to

become an actress, is in the final stages of preparing The Breakfast Club . So

is the cast and crew of the production, which includes students from Bethel,

Brookfield, Danbury and Abbott Tech (Danbury) high schools.

Ms Galotta moved with her parents into Newtown while in the seventh grade. She

has been bound for the stage from the age of seven, when she began "signing up

for anything my Mom would let me take," she told The Newtown Bee in 1995. A

1997 graduate of Connecticut Conservatory, a private performing arts school in

New Milford, Ms Galotta's ultimate goal is to be acting on Broadway.

She has spent one year in the drama studies program at SUNY/Purchase, and

another semester studying opera at Western Connecticut State University in

Danbury. Next year she will return to school, this time to The American

Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan.

She has appeared in a number of local theatre productions, and also served as

a production assistant a few times for the Newtown theatre company Town

Players. Right now she is working her way through her directing period.

"I have to leave this behind for a little while [when I return to school]," Ms

Galotta said recently. "It's really hard sometimes. Like many other things, it

can be a real love-hate relationship."

Because there is not yet an official theatrical version of John Hughes' film,

Ms Galotta had to contact Hollywood for a copy of the film's script. Long

before the play could be cast and rehearsals could begin, Ms Galotta had to

adapt the script into a theatrical production.

"Brett did a really good job, with the students' help, on the re-writing of

the movie," said sound technician Pete Romano. A classmate and production

major at SUNY/Purchase, Mr Romano is visiting from New Jersey to handle sound

cues and pre-recording for voiceovers that will be used during next weekend's

performances.

"She worked with them a lot, especially when they had to drop or change some

scenes. It's very much a group effort. She didn't want to be like the warden

of the play."

The Players

Students have joined Melting Pot Players in a variety of ways. Some have been

encouraged by friends, while others have been recruited by Ms Galotta or

previous directors.

Six members of the Melting Pot Players will be appearing on the stage during

The Breakfast Club , with another dozen Players serving in behind-the-scenes

roles of everything from production designer and stage manager to assistant

director.

There have been rough spots along the way. The cast was working feverishly

last weekend to create a statue that would be part of the stage set and a

pivotal piece of scenery in one particular scene. There have been a few people

who have not shown up for too many rehearsals, leaving very few understudies

for the roles, none of which are minor.

"One of our Allisons never showed up," said Robb Bunting, who plays Brian (aka

The Brain). "We've had a few problems, but we know what we have to do."

"Melting Pot is supposed to be a fairly improvisational group, so this will be

OK," added Shazde Omari, who is now playing Allison in all performances.

"It's not difficult on my lines, though," she laughed. Allison is the student

who is "the freaky girl," as her portrayer describes her. "She doesn't speak

much, so that's kind of cool. I'll just take it as it comes."

Newtown attorney Carl Back has the one adult role of the play, that of Mr

Vernon, who is the faculty member in charge of the detention.

While the group is used to performing in front of their peers, they are not

used to having a full script to learn from. That has been another problem

plaguing the pre-production.

"No one has done something from a written script before," Ms Galotta said last

weekend. "It's been difficult for them, learning all their lines."

Another difficulty has been that the cast has seen the movie version, some of

them quite a few times, so the actors are trying to re-create what they have

seen on film already.

"That's not the point," Ms Galotta insists. "I want this to be a staged

production." Fortunately, with a different staging than what was used in the

film version and a lot of voice-overs to be used in the theatre, the actors

are beginning to create their own body of work.

"I think they've gotten beyond [the movie]," the director said. Even with the

problems that have come up, the director is confident in the cast that has

been selected. She feels the casting of the actors into each role could not

have gone better. The actors are "absolutely perfect" for the roles they are

playing, she said.

"I've seen them perform before. They pull together remarkably. So I'm not

worried if we have a bad rehearsal. I know they'll be fine during the show.

They've worked hard. The ones who have stuck through, they're encouraged and

they want to be there for those final bows on the stage."

The decision to go with The Breakfast Club feels absolutely perfect to the

director and the cast.

"With the theme of this group, and the movie -- youth rebelling against

authority, but with reasons that become clear during the story's telling --

this play is perfect," says Ms Galotta.

"The [characters] in this play are brats, every single one of them in their

own way," she continued. "But they all have such great stories. You see why

they rebel the way they do and their problems with authority.

"The stories behind these characters are so good. It's what most of these kids

are living or at least seeing, probably."

The Melting Pot Players will present The Breakfast Club Friday, April 30, and

Saturday, May 1, at St James Church, 25 West Street in Danbury. Curtain is 8

pm each night. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 students and seniors. Due to some

rough language, the play may not be suitable for children age 12 and under.

For details or reservations, call 748-2936.