“The Prom,” a heartfelt story about young love, inclusion and fighting injustice, is coming to Footlite Musicals this fall.
“The Prom” is a love story set in a small conservative town in Indiana, where four down-on-their-luck Broadway actors rally around 17-year-old Emma after she’s banned from attending the high school prom with her girlfriend. Co-directed by Jerry Beasley and Claire Slaven (“Kinky Boots”) with choreography by Thomas Mason, “The Prom” is onstage at the historic Hedback Theatre Sept. 19-Oct. 5.
“The Prom is a celebration of love and acceptance and the power of standing together,” Beasley said in a statement. “It gives me and my community a voice (and) a place to belong and reminds us that everyone deserves to live their truth and be seen for who we are.”
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Written by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin with music by Matthew Sklar, “The Prom” first debuted on Broadway in 2018. The show received six Tony Award nominations and won Best Musical at the 2019 Drama Desk Awards. In 2020, the musical was adapted into a film for Netflix, starring James Corden and Meryl Streep. The show also toured the U.S. in 2021 before releasing the rights for regional productions in 2022.
Beasley has been waiting for a moment to direct “The Prom” since he first saw it with his now-husband Kevin Bell in 2019. Neither of them attended their high school proms, so the opportunity to dress up and see the show together was “their version of a prom,” according to an email to the Recorder.
Beasley said his ideas for a production of “The Prom,” including sets, costumes and other content, have been sitting in a folder since 2020.
Shawn Hunt, who plays Principal Tom Hawkins, one of the few people who supports Emma and her right to attend the prom with her girlfriend by contacting the Indiana State Attorney, said they remember what it was like to be out as a high school student.
Hunt is gender queer themselves, and said they resonate with Emma’s character as well as drawing from previous experiences around ally faculty to influence their own character.
“I was out in high school, and I did have a Principal Hawkins while I was in high school, so I definitely draw a lot from her,” Hunt said. “She definitely helped me get through some very, very tough years, so I just remember the kindness and the joy that she brought to my life.”
“The Prom” is Hunt’s third show with Footlite, and they said whenever something needs to get done, the community will come together and find a way to make it happen, whether it’s bringing friends in to build a set or run a border.
“In general, community theater definitely teaches you how to be resourceful as well as the true meaning of community,” Hunt said. “Footlite, what I’ve noticed, is — for truly lack of a better word — a family where they take care of each other. … They are all so welcoming and so deeply entwined in the community.”
Marachey Fowler, who plays Emma, said she found a community at Footlite Musicals when she lost her job and was looking for something fun to do. Throughout her time with the community theater organization during “Kinky Boots” and now “The Prom,” Fowler said she’s made many new friends in a supportive environment that’s “really done wonders for my confidence.”
“Now I’m stuck at Footlite forever,” she said.
“The Prom” features themes of inclusion and diversity, and Hunt said they hope audience members can reflect on respecting that there will always be more than one perspective in the world.
“It teaches people that people can change, but also you really need to look into yourself and see what exactly you need to change to be a ‘good person,’” Hunt said. “That’s relevant today, because in this world today, we should be spreading more love and kindness than we are, and it definitely speaks on that and being more inclusive when it comes to the people around us.”
Another theme in “The Prom” is the idea that it’s okay to ask for a little help and it’s okay to be yourself, no matter what. Fowler said she hopes younger audience members, especially those a part of the LGBTQ+ community, would truly benefit from the themes and having seen them play out on the stage.
“No matter who someone happens to love, it’s okay for them to love them,” Fowler said. “It doesn’t matter who they love, as long as there’s love there and that it’s okay to be who you are, and you don’t have to try and be anyone else.”
However, the story would “benefit any and everyone,” Hunt said. “The Prom” is designed for people who need a moment of laughter and a moment of feeling like they’re not alone as well as reaching individuals who might need to “see behind the curtain of what this one particular girl has to go through,” Hunt said.
Footlite Musicals presents “The Prom” Sept. 19-Oct. 5 at the Hedback Theatre, 1847 N. Alabama St. “The Prom” is rated PG-13 for themes of homophobia and bullying, stereotypes, underage drinking and mature language.
Tickets range from $15-$25. For more information, visit Footlite.org or contact the box office at 317-926-6630 and boxoffice@gootlite.org.
This story has been updated.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
