Posted: 8/27/03

Wiersma shares stage with Sally Struthers in ëHello Dollyí

Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

Deborah Wiersma is a familiar face in local theater. This summer, the Masquerís regular can be seen on a more southerly stage, alongside an American television icon.

Wiersma, who moved to the community nearly one decade ago, is spending her summer as a principle dancer in Bloomington Civic Theatreís production of ìHello Dolly!î

Sally Struthers, of ìAll in the Familyî and ìGilmore Girlsî fame, takes the title role of the show which opened this week and runs through September 7.

But, Wiersma said, Struthers insists on being one of the theatrical team.

ìSally is a great lady,î Wiersma said. ìShe is funny, loves to pull antics and is really interested in getting to know everyone in the cast. She loves to tease and when she tripped one time she apologized and said it was her fault even though the director said it was another cast memberís fault.î

She doesnít have an entourage. It is just her and her very down to earth personality. She is concerned that she will not be able to perform up to par with us actors while we are concerned about giving her a top rated show.î

Hard work

The show is being directed by John Command. While theyíve been working on the show all summer, the cast has been working Monday through Saturday for the last few weeks.

ìCommand is pushing the envelope to make sure this is a Broadway-quality show. He has done many shows on Broadway, was in the ëHello Dollyí movie with Barbra Streisand and some Las Vegas shows,î Wiersma said. ìHe expects this type of quality. I am being challenged in this show and improving my dance skills even more. ìI even get to do some back handsprings and front flips.î

It is a lot of work for Wiersma to fit in. She is married, mother of two and works a full time job at Aveda.

ìI take two hours a day to practice my dancing and two hours driving to and from work to work on my singing,î she said.

Roots

In a sense, this show is taking Wiersma back to her roots.

ìHello Dollyí was the first musical I performed back in my senior year. The dancers in my class (cheerleaders and drill team) were not too happy to have a choral person as a dancer,î Wiersma said. ìI really enjoyed the experienceóso much that when my husband and I moved to Minnesota from California I auditioned for Masquerís ëHello Dollyí back in the summer of 1995. This play is definitely one of my favorite shows.î

She credits her husband, Roger, with igniting her theatrical drive.

ìFour years ago, my husband took me to see ëBeauty and the Beastí at the Orpheum. I decided while watching the show I wanted to be one of those top notch chorus dancers on stage. I have been practicing voice and dancing since then and relearning my gymnastics to make me more marketable.î

I quickly signed up for an adult class at All Star Dance in Forest Lake and took two years of ballroom dancing and competition, quickly advancing in these skills. My worst thing I hated to do was turns and spins so I decided to practice mostly these and now this is my expertise,î she said.

Conquering fears, Wiersma said, is part of the path to excellence.

ìI learned this trick back in my gymnastics days doing flips on the beam which scared me to death. I decided the beam is my friend and I will not hate it. I tripled my practicing on this apparatus liking it more and more,î she said.

And dancing, flipping and spinning, will be part of Wiersmaís life for many years to come.

ìI have tons of energy so this is a good way to channel it. I plan to tap dance into my old age and bring my ballroom dancing skills to the ice some day. I have a pair of ice skates my father gave me when I was 16 and I promised him I would take these skates to the best of my competition ability some day,î Wiersma said. ìI am waiting for the ice sheets to be built. That is my next goal as well as making Masquers Theatre Company a top notch community theatre in the northern metro area.î

Tickets

Tickets for ìHello Dolly!î are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $20 for children and students. Tuesday nights are family nights and childrenís tickets are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets can be ordered by calling 612-825-7667 or are available online at www.bloomingtoncivictheatre.org.

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