When Tessa Hanrath steps on the stage for the Pioneer Theatre Guild’s production of “Oklahoma,” expect to see a “a girl with a heart of whatever the opposite of gold is.” Hanrath, a Pioneer senior with plenty of stage experience, is excited to play Gertie Cummings in the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s American classic.
“Gertie Cummings is a girl with a heart of whatever the opposite of gold is and a laugh only a mother could love (if that),” says Hanrath. “She is so fun to play because of the over the top energy I get to bring to her. Coming up with her iconic laugh was a nerve-wracking job because I wanted to do her insufferableness justice, but it’s lots of fun to execute!”
And there is Gertie’s flip side.
“She is also quite mean,” Hanrath says. “So I always like to remind my friends that I do not mean the terrible things I say while playing Gertie!
“I’m so excited to get to see this whole show come together and flow! The whole cast and crew are so talented and hard working so I know it will be great!”
Tessa, 17, is the daughter of Meg and Brad Hanrath. She performs to a 3.89 GPA in the classroom and also is Pioneer Choirs. She first started doing theater in 5th grade and has loved it ever since.
“I gradually got more and more hooked starting with one or two shows a year and now I’m in five at once,” she says, sounding more excited than overwhelmed. “In 6th grade I played five sports and was in one musical, guess what stuck?”
With PTG, Hanrath has played Little Red Riding Hood in “Into the Woods”; River Sister in “You on the Moors Now”; hosted and sang in FutureStars; and was in the ensemble of Les Mis. She also is a member of the Pioneer Comedy Troupe.
“I’ve also done many shows with Ann Arbor Civic Theater, and I’m currently in a few shows with Spinning Dot Theater’s teen rep co and repertoire company,” she says. “This summer, I’m super excited to be playing Hero in Shakespeare In The Arb’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
Sounds like Hanrath will have no problem equaling her character’s energy in Oklahoma. And she can’t wait to hit the stage.
“It’s so fun to work with such talented and creative directors and really get to explore the story of the show,” she says. “The overall community is so supportive and fun and I always get to feel proud of the hard work we put in.
“The audience can expect to see a very high energy show with such talented singers and dancers. This whole cast and crew worked so hard!”
Hanrath will be attending Eastern Michigan University to be a part of the honors college! “I’d love to teach theater one day, and I definitely want to continue with college and community theater all my life,” she says.
