June Volunteer Spotlight: Jeanette Soebbing
Jeanette’s dance training is what brought her to QCT, but her love of theatre and what goes into making a production is what has kept her here (you may even recognize her from our new Audition Commercial!) Jeanette has most recently been seen on stage as Stepsister Joy in CINDERELLA, and The Acrobat in MATILDA. She’s currently serving backstage as Assistant Stage Manager for JERSEY BOYS.
How did you first become involved with QCT?
I’ve been a dancer my entire life, but as an adult, there aren’t many opportunities to perform. I have several friends who kept telling me to audition for a show with QCT because they love the QCT family. So, I took the leap and auditioned for the 100th Anniversary Gala and the QCT family welcomed me with open arms.
What has been your most memorable moment working on a production?
During CINDERELLA, Adrienne and I had a lot of fun playing the insufferable step sisters who were always mocking Cinderella. But my favorite part of the show was “Lovely Night” when we got to sing, dance, and have fun with Jayden (Cinderella). It was freeing to remove the sneer and smile and have fun on stage with each other.
If you could play any role in any play or musical, which one would it be and why?
I would love to be in the ensemble of CABARET. The dancing in that show is less about perfecting the dance moves and more about setting a mood and making the audience feel something.
What has been your favorite/most rewarding volunteer role?
Even though I love being on stage and performing, it’s been really rewarding to be an assistant stage manager. I love that I’m able to help wherever I’m needed, whether that is running music during rehearsals, standing in for people who are missing, or moving props around the stage.
What’s the funniest mishap you’ve seen happen during a live performance?
There were a couple of funny mishaps during CINDERELLA that revolved around those huge hoop skirts. In one performance, my hoop skirt came untied and fell, so I just pretended like that was part of the show, made a funny face, grabbed the skirt, and ran off stage like my character was embarrassed. The same thing happened to Adrienne while we were dancing together in the ballroom, so after I dipped her, she grabbed the skirt and we hid it behind our backs as we galloped off to hide behind the hedges. Since we couldn’t go off stage to fix the skirt, one of the assistant stage managers army-crawled out to the hedge to give us some safety pins to pin it back in place right before we went on for “Stepsisters Lament”.
If QCT could produce any show with an unlimited budget, what would you choose and why?
I have a huge soft spot for BEEBLEJUICE because it was one of my favorite movies growing up. I love how they’ve adapted it for the stage and I would absolutely die *wink wink* to be a part of that show.
What’s one thing you wish the audience knew about what goes on behind the scenes?
How the cast and crew work together to solve problems that arise during the show. Sometimes that means army-crawling out to a hedge with safety pins, finding a creative way to get someone a prop they forgot to grab, or rearranging an entire dance because someone is sick. It’s always a team effort and everyone is willing to do what they can to make sure the audience has no idea there was even an issue.
What would you say to someone wanting to volunteer with QCT?
Even if you’ve never worked on stage or in a theatre, you can still volunteer! Although I had experience dancing on stage, I knew very little about anything else when I started volunteering at QCT. When I told people I had no idea what I was doing, they were so kind, patient, and excited to teach me. This really is a family and we love seeing others fall in love with the theatre like we all have, so please come and volunteer, and we will be there to help you.