Sitting on the waxy seats of a middle school bus, Alexis Goodreau’s eighth-grade friend handed her an “American Idiot” album by Green Day — the album that brought her to where she is now. Now a Shippensburg University senior, Goodreau has directed select parts of the musical “American Idiot,” which features the song from Green Day’s album.
The culmination of work that Goodreau and her cast of actors, band members and behind-the-scene crew put toward the performances this fall semester will transpire in performances on Nov. 7 and 8. As an interdisciplinary art major, Goodreau could do either an internship or a project that links all three of her emphases — music, theater and business — which is what she chose to do.
Although she likes Green Day, “American Idiot” as the album and the play have most resonated with Goodreau because of the message it carries, which is the desire to escape a rural, suburban hometown.
The message in “American Idiot” is one that Goodreau said she could relate to, growing up in a suburban home and listening to the country music her parents liked. Eventually, however, Goodreau said she slipped into the punk rock culture.
“I was a really big fan of the album, and I was greatly influenced by the adaptation and I liked that the adaption represents the punk subculture in a genuine way because there’s not really anything like that on Broadway,” Goodreau said.
Paris Peet, Goodreau’s adviser for her musical, said that what he is really going to be looking for is Goodreau’s interpretation and analysis of the costumes because that is her specialty and interest.
When Goodreau graduates, she hopes to work as a costume designer or casting director, she said.
“Costume designers look at the characters, they individualize them with what they wear, how their clothing mirrors their person or their situations...That’s what I’m looking for and I think she’s going to be very successful with that,” Peet said.
When Goodreau tries to design and select costumes, she said she tries to understand her characters not by just reading the script, but by trying to realize the motives behind their actions and the situations in their past that shaped them into the people they are.
“She has kind of personal attachment to the music and I think the characters in their situation and that kind of fuels her in doing it,” Peet said.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.