In recent years, Future Waitstaff of America (FWA) has put on some sizable musicals. Large ensembles of students have crowded backstage and into pits to perform the likes of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Something Rotten” and “The Addams Family.” Naturally, beautiful sets and costumes, large orchestras and smiling ensembles are a key part of musical theater’s appeal. However, when audiences entered the Susan Stein Shiva Theater late this November, the show that unfolded was quite the departure from the spectacle and grandiosity that one might expect from a musical. The set was little more than some cardboard boxes and elaborate spike tape, while the pit contained only a conductor, a keyboardist and a drummer. Despite the extreme simplicity, the cast of two—yes, just two—proceeded to perform a hilarious, heartfelt two-act piece.
“Gutenberg! The Musical!” is a show within a show. Bud and Doug, two amateur writers with Broadway-sized dreams, present a chaotic but heartfelt “backers’ audition” for the wildly inaccurate musical they have written about Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. With a makeshift set and a stack of hats to represent each character, the two attempt to play every role in the show, hoping to charm a producer into funding their dream. Their earnest determination and genuine love for theater drive a story that is not about the birth of the printing press at all, but instead about the power of teamwork and unwavering enthusiasm.
FWA’s rendition of this show was led by Director Susan Crumbley ’28, who has been a fan of the musical for quite some time. “While on the surface it’s a comedy about the invention of the printing press, at its core ‘Gutenberg’ is about following your dreams, no matter how absurd,” she explained. “The story of Bud and Doug, like the one that they wrote about Johannes Gutenberg, is about creativity, friendship and what you can do if you have the passion to follow your dreams.”
Crumbley has been an active member of the theater community during her years at Vassar, but this was her first time in the director’s seat. “Working on Gutenberg truly helped me understand how to communicate with everyone involved in the show, and also challenged my organizational skills and multitasking abilities,” she said.
This fall, the roles of Bud and Doug were played by Angela Chen ’28 and Danny Allan ’26, respectively. Understandably, the two noted that the sheer amount of material was initially quite daunting to memorize. Chen explained, “Memorizing lines for a two-person show is the same as memorizing the entire show, and that made it difficult for me to differentiate between my and Danny’s lines.” Allan emphasized this idea as well, mentioning how overwhelming the material was in the beginning. “At the start of rehearsal, it was an intimidating wall, and I wasn’t always confident in my ability to surmount it,” he said. “Realizing that I was capable of slowly dismantling that wall was a great satisfaction… It was exhausting to perform for that long, but knowing that every laugh or gasp was a reaction to me and Angela made every second worth it.”
Once the brunt of the memorization was complete, small mistakes were inevitable. However, it became clear to the co-stars that this show was forgiving in terms of messing up. “Laughing off errors and moving on is the spirit of the show, and some of my favorite moments of every performance came from little mistakes,” Allan remarked. Chen expanded on this point, saying, “I think those little imperfections made the show even more real because things in life rarely go exactly as planned.”
In addition to overcoming technical challenges, the co-stars explained that learning to trust each other was a crucial part of bringing this show to life. “Because of the nature of this show, we both had to put a lot of trust into the other person physically, vocally, and mentally, which helped us get closer,” Chen explained. Allan echoed this sentiment, saying, “Learning to trust how hilarious Angela was, and constantly striving to up my energy to match what she was giving brought me a lot closer to her on stage.”
It is clear that trust and teamwork were central to making this show a success. What the musical lacked in spectacle it more than made up for in heart, humor and the sheer joy of collaborative theater. Indeed, for everyone involved, the process behind the scenes seemed just as meaningful as the performances themselves. “This group of people has been incredibly wonderful to work with. I could not have chosen a more hardworking, talented group to put on this production with,” Crumbley reflected. “They astounded me daily with their creativity and dedication to the show, and they truly made the entire process a dream come true.” It seems that, in a medium often defined by scale, FWA’s rendition of “Gutenberg! The Musical!” is a reminder that spectacle may have its place in theater—but so should passion, heart and unwavering trust in one’s team.