Some best friends and siblings are inseparable, practically joined at the hip. But what if they were actually physically joined at the hip ““ would life with the same person still be that easy?
This year’s Ray Bolger Musical Theater Production, “Side Show,” put on by the UCLA Department of Theater, tells the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who were born in the early 20th century and spent their lives on display. The show opens tonight at the Macgowan Little Theater.
“Side Show” takes place over five years, starting with the Hiltons’ initial performances in a circus freak show and progressing to reach the height of their fame as a vaudeville act in New York.
Nicholas Gunn, the show’s director and a theater professor, believes that the Hiltons’ inspirational story shows how the human spirit can overcome intense challenges.
“These girls were born with a lot of strikes against them, and not only do they succeed enormously, but they were always cheerful, always optimistic,” Gunn said. “No matter what it was that they had to do next, they always did it with good humor.”
Gunn knew he was in for a challenge himself in putting on the play. The show includes 120 costumes and originally called for 27 set changes, he said.
“I knew it was a big show the minute I read the script,” he said. “Everyone in the production office had the script, but when it actually came down to it, they were all surprised because it’s a little larger than any other production that we’ve done here before.”
The production process officially began in January with the directors and designers meeting. But auditions were not held until after spring break, and the cast had only nine weeks to rehearse and prepare for the performance.
While other productions of “Side Show” ““ including the original Broadway production ““ have kept the actresses portraying Daisy and Violet unattached, Gunn decided to take a historical perspective on the show and actually attach the two actresses in his show.
“I couldn’t help thinking that the audience would spend a lot of time thinking, “˜Boy, those girls are really doing a good job standing side by side,'” he said. “I really wanted to pay tribute to their real lives. I thought if you started in the freak show and met them as conjoined twins, that perhaps the audience could suspend their belief and go on this journey with us.”
Melisa De Seguirant and Grace Wall, third-year musical theater students who play Daisy and Violet Hilton, respectively, originally started rehearsing with a harness to simulate the attachment. But the harness became too difficult in terms of costuming, and they started rehearsing without any physical connection.
“It really takes concentration being able to sense where the other one needs to go as far as an actor goes,” De Seguirant said. “I think the funniest moments (in rehearsal) have been times where Grace and I went in opposite directions and went “˜Uh oh, we’re unattached. This changes the story a little bit.'”
Leighton Aycock, a costume design graduate student who designed the costumes for “Side Show,” explained how the actresses will be attached in the performance.
“Each of the outfits have an elastic band at the hip and then they’re actually sewn together,” Aycock said. “I designed everything to be fitted over the hips so it will hold the dresses to their bodies, so that we don’t just have clothes connected but there’s something attached to that (as well).”
In addition to being attached on stage, De Seguirant and Wall will unavoidably be attached offstage, which presents another array of challenges.
“While the audience sees us for a certain amount of time (on stage), all the time offstage, we’re still attached,” De Seguirant said. “So getting to the dressing rooms and getting to where we have to get on stage for our cues is going to be another whole battle.”
Even if it’s just for the duration of a performance, being constantly attached to someone else may seem unimaginably frustrating.
But Christine Kellogg, the show’s choreographer and a theater professor, said that the actresses have handled it beautifully.
“I’ve never had to work with two actors who are constantly together, and they’ve been wonderful,” she said.
De Seguirant believes being on stage with Wall has taken some of the stress off performing in such a large role.
“It’s such a big part, so of course there’s lots of room for nerves and stuff like that. But every time we’re on stage, at least we’re there for each other,” she said. “There’s always going to be somebody else right next to you.”
Wall agreed.
“We know each other really well, so it’s almost like we really are sisters,” she said. “In this case, it’s the love we have for each other that helps us overcome everything we go through.”
Although the twins spent their lives connected to each other, they didn’t let it stand in the way of their success.
“It really is a success story because they chose to succeed, and I think we can all take something from that,” De Seguirant said. “Because no matter what happens in your life, you can choose what to do with it. They were dealt these cards and they made something wonderful out of it.”