Theater Review: 'Reject Me, Already' at Sacred Heart University

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

“Reject Me, Already” is a new musical comedy that is the work of Paul Richard Keegan, a newcomer and recent graduate of Sacred Heart University. The production is directed by Jerry Goehring. I was invited to attend one of the U.S. previews before the company heads to spend one month at the Edinburgh Scotland Fringe. @edfringe

If you have ever wished for more control over your dating life, this is a show where you get to play the matchmaker. In this new romantic comedy, the audience literally gets to choose which of the six performers will fall in love.

Press materials invite patrons to “step into the story of Cameron and Casey, two hopeless romantics looking for their ‘someone,’ their soulmate. They know they’re out there, they just don’t know who it is. And in this romcom… neither do the actors. Not until showtime.”

The description continues: “Then, it’s up to the audience to pick who plays which role, and who ends up with who. Six actors, six roles, one story... over twenty possibilities. Take a little chance on love in this jazzy, big-hearted, feel-good musical from newcomer Paul Richard Keegan.”

Before the performance begins, the stage manager steps forward to explain the premise of the show and then conducts the voting process, counting the raised hands for the four primary characters. After the six actors briefly introduce themselves, the audience is asked to vote for the two main characters that will “meet cute.” Next, the audience votes for the two actors that will play the roommate couple of one of the leads, with the remaining two performers to play a variety of supporting roles.

If this process makes it sound like all six of the actors must be prepared to play any of the roles in the show, that is exactly what is demanded of this talented cast. They need to memorize the lines, musical numbers and blocking of all six characters, and do not know which role they will play until moments before the beginning of each performance. The show runs under an hour, but this is still a massive undertaking for the entire cast.

Even the production stage manager Grace Posillico, a recent SHU grad, is under tremendous pressure, juggling nine musical tracks so that the chosen actors will be able to sing the music in a comfortable key. Leo served as the musical director.

Keegan began to write the book, music and lyrics for “RMA” in 2022 and it was later produced at SHU in 2023. He is finally recovering from the shock of finding out that his little rom-com musical will debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. Andrew Goehring, who earned his master’s degree in music composition from NYU in 2022, wrote the orchestrations for Keegan’s work. Brayden Wihbey, a rising senior at SHU, served as the show’s choreographer. She has studied dance at her mother’s dance studio in Prospect and designed the choreography for SHU’s production of “Ride the Cyclone.”

The story is set in Portland in 2000. The main couple, with first names that are not gender specific, has that cute misunderstanding in many a romcom, a funny duet and some musical puns. There are some “they” pronouns in the script that probably aided in the learning of the lines. There are some great graphics that are projected on a series of white screens that hang from the top of the stage.

Given the casting process of this show, each cast and each show is different. Rest assured that every member of this cast gives a wonderful performance.

Christopher Conte is a recent SHU graduate who will perform at the Festival for the first time. He played Noel in “Ride the Cyclone,” Man 1 in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and Jeff in “[title of show.]”

Colleen DeGennaro is a recent graduate of SHU, where she earned a BA in Theatre Arts and English, and was part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year. After she returns from this year’s Fringe, she will continue her education through the two-year evening conservatory program at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC.

Grace Peknic from Long Island will make her Edinburgh Fringe debut. Peknic is a rising senior at SHU and appeared as Beth in “Little Women,” Janet in “Rocky Horror,” and Emily Webb in “Our Town.” She writes that “it has been the biggest blessing to do what she loves with the people she loves, everyday.”

Nick Rubano is another recent SHU graduate who will be in his second Fringe performance, having played Milo in “Your Children Will Follow” last summer. Rubano is a New York based actor who calls this an “insanely fun and fulfilling show.”

Sean Ryan is a senior Communications and Theatre major at Sacred Heart. During his time at SHU, Ryan played Brad in “The Rocky Horror Show,” JD Sheldrake in “Promises, Promises,” and John Proctor in “The Crucible.”

Sage Sperling (they/them) is a junior at SHU, double majoring in Theatre Arts and English. Sperling has appeared in “She Kills Monsters,” “Ride the Cyclone,” and “Rocky Horror.” They also were part of Shakespeare on the Sound’s production of “As You Like It.”
Conte and Sperling were in charge of the costume design with props by rising SHU junior Katie McCabe. Hair and makeup design is by rising junior Michelle Cuocci. Rubano and Peknic designed the projections. Sound was designed by SHU graduate Matthew Cordova.

When the team performs in Scotland, they will be provided with a blank set. In one hour and ten minutes, they will work together to set up the stage, perform the show and then “strike” the stage in five minutes so that the next production may take to the stage. When they are not performing, the young actors have the opportunity to see other shows and encourage others to come see their work. The festival takes place in some 350 theaters, with some 3 million tickets sold.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the newspaper.

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