According to Johanna Wickemeyer '12, director of Tympanium Euphorium's upcoming production, Urinetown is "a satiric, comedic view of a Malthusian world sometime in the future" where people have to pay the government in order to go to the bathroom. Producer Nick Maletta '13 chimes in with Wickemeyer on the musical production, which hits the Carl J. Shapiro Theater in early December.

JustArts: Give justArts an update of Urinetown's progress. How far along are you guys to being able to put on the final show?

Johanna Wickemeyer: From the rehearsal staff point of view, the cast has learned all of their music, dance numbers and movement. Now we are in the process of perfecting and integrating all of those musical-play components into a concise, smoothly-running performance. From the production staff point of view, the creative team is finalizing plans, collecting materials and coordinating their ideas with one another and myself.

Nick Maletta: We're fortunate to have a performance date that's late in the semester. Putting up a musical requires a huge amount of dedication from a large number of people. At this point, the actors have been taught the staging, music and choreography for the entire show. This week, they're expected to have committed most of the script to memory. From this point forward, the rehearsal production staff will be doing full runs of the show and developing it into a more polished product.

From a design perspective, the costumes and props designers are working on pulling together their materials based on their budgets, while the lighting, sound and set designers are starting to think about their plans for the final production. The set design must be determined relatively early in the process so that the director and actors can understand how the stage will be arranged during the performance.

JA: Tell me about Urinetown. What kind of production is it? How do you connect with it?

JW: Urinetown is one of my favorite contemporary musicals. Urinetown is a satiric, comedic view of a Malthusian world sometime in the future, where clean water is sparse, and a rich upper class charges and taxes the masses of the poor who, of all things, must use publicly-controlled restrooms. Urinetown is a hilarious, punny and intelligent story that often breaks the fourth wall, poking fun at not only the status quo, but also other musicals themselves. The show is both comical and thought-provoking; it is enjoyable for all audiences. I connect with it, not only because I relate to the witty humor, but also because I've performed in the show two times in the past. During my third production of Urinetown, I keep finding new jokes and unique viewpoints for this show, emphasizing the strengths of the actors, and production staff.

NM: Urinetown is a comedy with some dark political undertones. It deals with a society in which a water shortage has essentially eliminated private toilets and placed a single corporation in control of all public restroom facilities, forcing people to pay to relieve themselves. This sparks a passionate backlash from the oppressed citizens. I can't say that I have a particular connection to the show, but its themes are fairly relatable. Actually, it's kind of funny, but the "Occupy" protests are sort of timely for our production due to the fact that Urinetown was definitely written as a commentary on the system of capitalism, an issue that is so central to current events at the moment.

JA: What are the greatest challenges so far for the production?

JW: The greatest challenges thus far in production have to do with funds. Money is tight, and it's difficult to produce a quality and professional product with little funds. Between the rights, set, lighting, sound, costuming, and props, even small productions require large sums of cash. Another challenge is that Urinetown's production runs relatively late in the semester. My plan for the production is to ease stress by getting everyone ready for performance before Thanksgiving break, so no one is rushing last minute to get everything in place.

NM: There are a number of challenges we've encountered so far ranging from generating a high quality product with a very limited budget to ensuring that all essential roles in the show are filled (sometimes students decide they can't commit after being cast). As any theater group could tell you, it's also a challenge coordinating among all of the people involved. Theater is extremely collaborative, and clear communication and cooperation is key throughout the entire process. Our show goes up on Dec. 8 with performances throughout the weekend.