Warwick student cast in Oklahoma!' DVD
WARWICK-Heather Dethmers, a senior at Warwick Valley High School, will appear as Aunt Eller in Rodgers and Hammerstein's DVD movie format of the musical production "Getting to Know OKLAHOMA!" n a guide for musical staging. Dethmers, a student at MCC Actor Training School, met the expectations of The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization working with their talented production team, top directors and a seasoned film crew. Scenes were shot at The Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center in Nyack. Under the direction of a cadre of Broadway professionals, she participated in an intensive rehearsal schedule. The final production included the complex staging of what became an eight-camera video shoot involving several days of non-stop filming. Dethmers also has been a student of MCC Actor Training School for the past seven years. "Heather has played so many roles here, and grown so much as an actress," said Donna Haley, director of the MCC Actor Training School. "We just have to look at her Her characterizations are full, alive, unique, and strong. Some call this dedication, some, charisma. But Heather's got it, and I have no doubt she will go far." Dethmers is no stranger to the stage. During the past four summers, she played major roles at The Academy Playhouse in Cape Cod, Mass., in productions of "A Chorus Line" appearing as the character as Val; "Grease" as Marty; "Footloose" as Irene and Betty Blast; "Chicago;" "West Side Story" and "Fame," marking more than 150 live stage performances. Over the years Dethmers has honed her craft not only in the performing arts, but also in theater production. While maintaining her full-time acting status at The Academy, she was also selected into their internship program. In this role, she gained a working knowledge of set design, lighting and sound, advertising, promotion and public relations. Dethmers, he daughter of Douglas and Janine Dethmers of Warwick, has participated in a variety of other productions in Warwick and the New York/metropolitan area. She is the president of the Warwick Valley High School Drama Club and will be attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City on a talent/merit scholarship starting this fall. Meanwhile, you can look for Heather Dethmers in the Rodgers and Hammerstein movie of the musical "Getting to Know OKLAHOMA!" that is scheduled for worldwide distribution through The Hal Leonard Corporation.