A common truism about parenting is that it’s the toughest task you will ever undertake. It’s done with virtually no training, no operating manual, and no reliable measure in the moment to determine whether you’re doing it right.
On the other hand, author Gail Carson Levine once quipped that being a teenager is like stepping onto a bridge with childhood behind you and adulthood on the other shore. Unfortunately, the bridge is made of wood and, as you cross, it burns behind you.
Those fundamental truths about the parent/child experience are the foundation of the situation facing the protagonists in Mountain Dream Productions’ latest offering, Freaky Friday.
This fun and funny musical, based on a novel by Mary Rodgers and the subsequent hit Disney films, explores what happens when an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies and have only one day to put things right.
In the end, it’s a story about love, empathy, and mutual respect.
For Charlie Walls, the 17-year-old actress playing the role of the mother, Katherine Blake, the challenge is, at least in part, trying to become the mature adult in the situation.
“It’s made me see the mother-daughter relationship differently – motivated me to be a little bit more nice to my own mom and appreciate what moms go through with teens,” said Walls.
“The greatest challenge is that while it’s comedic, there’s a more serious back story that you don’t want to lose. You want it to be funny, while still bringing the serious parts to the stage.”
Walls acknowledges that, as she isn’t a mother and is much younger than the character she is playing, she must rely on observing and considering the mother/daughter dynamic from a slightly different point of view.
“It’s made me think about those relationships differently. It actually connects with my own life and makes me consider how much of a pain teens can be,” Wall said.
Mountain Dream producer, Rob Forbes, has no doubts about his cast’s ability to pull off the roles in the musical.
“These are very accomplished actors. Their age means that they have to have do a lot of observation and have an appreciation of what the characters are facing. These actors are up for the challenge,” said Forbes.
There are two casts performing the shows with Walls’ daughter being played by Shreenita Shegar (13) and a second cast in which Katelyn Da Silva (17) and Izzy Walls (13) play the mother and daughter respectively.
The production will be staged at the Mary Winspear Theatre and will run from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25. Tickets are available at marywinspear.ca/event/freaky-friday.
