YES Theatre brings 'beloved classic' to Sudbury stage

Gabriella Albino has gone from being an American Idiot to the middle daughter of a poor dairyman in a tight-knit Jewish community that is Fiddler on the Roof.

Albino plays Hodel in YES Theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof, which runs Aug. 7-29 at Sudbury Theatre Centre.

“I think (Hodel) goes through quite the journey in this story,” Albino said. “She starts in her very traditional ways of thinking, until she meets a certain someone, and then she transitions into a very progressive woman for the time of the story.”

Set in the little village of Anatevka, Fiddler on the Roof focuses on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters.

With the help of a colourful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instil them with traditional values in the face of a changing social scene and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia.

Director Alessandro Costantini said he has been working on the production for the past year, researching and learning about the culture, the people and the history of it all.

“The Jewish people are so resilient,” he said. “They've gone through so much, and it was quite inspiring. It taught me a lot about the human spirit.

“It was a big challenge to get us all into the world of the play, and we worked on that for weeks. It's a mammoth production, with 23 people on stage. It's such a beloved classic, and I'm excited to bring it to Sudbury. I think we've done a really wonderful take on it. I'm very proud of it, and I think it's the best piece YES has done so far.”

This year marks YES Theatre's sixth season, Costantini said. The company has developed a large pool of actors from which to draw for its production. In Fiddler on the Roof, there are 12 or 13 actors making their stage debuts.

“It's awesome to see everyone fit into the flow of the company,” he said. “I'm very happy with the cast; they're all really exceptional performers.”

Like Costantini, Albino had very little time to transition from American Idiot to Fiddler on the Roof.

“It was quite the drastic change,” Albino said. “It was daunting. We had about a day between American Idiot and Fiddler on the Roof. The vibes, while both equally wonderful, are completely different. We had very different mindsets. American Idiot was a very physical, guttural show, but this one, we use our minds a lot more.”

Albino said she felt a bit of pressure in Fiddler on the Roof to be true to the historical accuracy of the time and the people and their religion and culture.

“I don't think I've ever done a show where I've had to do this much research.”

Fiddler on the Roof runs Aug. 7-19 at Sudbury Theatre Centre, Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at the Sudbury Theatre Centre box office or at YESTheatre.com.