Residents Fulfill Dream With Theater Company

Would you quit a dream job to pursue a non-paying lifelong dream? Last fall, Andrea Villafuerte resigned from her production job for MTV documentaries to join college pal Mike Haber and his lifelong friend Samatha Eulas in their shared theater venture: One Dream Productions.

“I really believe in what Sam and Mike are doing and wanted to be part of it,” the Rockland County resident said. “It’s a dream for me, too.”

ODP was founded last year by Haber and Eulas, Paramus residents and friends since third grade.

“We went to different colleges, but re-connected and wanted to live out our passion by doing live theater in North Jersey,” Eulas said.

She earned a degree in musical theater from Montclair State University and has performed throughout the country. Her credits include major roles in West Side Story (Anita), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), and Les Miserables (Fantine).

Though Haber has studied acting and voice since childhood, he considered theater to be “just a hobby” when he entered college. “I wanted to be realistic." After changing majors several times, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a major in history and a minor in theater production.

“I had the opportunity to learn every aspect of putting on a production,” Haber said. He has directed four musicals, designed lighting for more than 20 productions, and produced four musical revues. He also appeared in more than 30 shows.

The friends founded ODP last year and in August mounted their first full-length production, the Broadway hit musical, Rent. “It was great,” Eulas said. “People of all ages were in the audience.”

“We consider ODP to be community theater,” explained Eulas. “We want to give back to the community and encourage involvement.” 

All three partners are committed to bringing challenging, meaningful theater to local audiences.

"Doing Rent was a risk...not your typical community theater choice,” Eulas said. “We aim to be edgy, take audiences beyond their comfort zone and make them think.” 

Villafuerte added, “There’s so much going on in New York. We want to bring more theater to New Jersey.”  

For dreamers, both founders have a practical streak. Eulas works as a medical biller and lives in town with her husband, Edward, an electrician, and their 2-year old daughter, Alexa. Haber is a restaurant server and math tutor. He plans eventually to attend graduate school to study “something completely different” from theater. 

This down-to-earth quality underlies their vision. “Theater should be part of everyone’s life on a regular basis,” said Eulas, a trained dancer who found her high school theater experiences to be therapeutic. 

“Like many teenagers I had issues with body image and self-esteem,” she said. “Theater helped me gain confidence and be comfortable playing other roles. She also sees ODP as a “safe environment” for the performers. “We want the actors to feel they can take risks and develop their craft here.”

The partners do not yet draw a salary from ODP. “Everything we make goes back into the company,” said Haber. The group also does not yet have a permanent venue, mounting productions at the Fair Lawn Community Center. They hope one day to see those circumstances changed.

Future plans also call for more community outreach, especially with classes and workshops for performers, including youth and seniors. For now, though, ODP is focused on an ambitious winter/spring season that will feature productions of Legally Blonde, and Next to Normal.

Opening Jan. 26 is Urinetown:The Musical, a satirical comedy about a water shortage that inspires legal, corporate, and government authorities to force people pay to use bathroom facilities. Violaters are sent to Urinetown, a penal colony.

“This is one of the most comical roles I’ve ever played,” said Kathleen Mallon of Highland Park, who has the role of ingénue Hope. “Doing comedy is really a challenge.”

With 21 cast members, the production is an ambitious undertaking. At a recent rehearsal, vocals sounded strong and camaraderie was at high pitch. Eulas (choreographer) Villafuerte ( stage manager) and Robert Dilton ( musical director) coached the cast with feedback and finishing touches. “You guys were awesome,” said Eulas, after an energetic dance number.

The direction leaves plenty of room for actors to improvise, in some cases choosing which jokes they may deliver in a given performance. In this, Haber was inspired by Bertolt Brecht, a 20^th century playwright/director.   

“Brecht thought actors should acknowledge that they are onstage in a performance,” said Haber. “The cast embraced this concept,” he added.
“It’s what live theater is all about, unpredictable and spontaneous. No two performances are ever exactly the same, and that’s what’s so exciting about theater.”

Urinetown:The Musical plays Jan 26 -29 at Fair Lawn Community Theater. For tickets and information, call (201) 632-3532 or visit www.onedreamproductionsllc.com