JANESVILLE—Since landing his first role as Winthrop Paroo in “The Music Man” at age 8, Hunter Bruegger has loved doing theater.
He enjoys the camaraderie that comes with being part of a tight-knit cast.
He appreciates directors willing to share their knowledge and experience.
He relishes harnessing the raw emotion needed for drawing an audience deep into whatever story is being told.
Perhaps most of all, he thrives on the escapism that comes with transforming from one character to another with each and every show.
“What really appeals to me is stepping into someone else’s shoes in a script someone has written,” Bruegger said. “You get to be who you want to be because you get to make up your own characterization. You get to be a completely different person for an hour or two while you’re performing.”
The 2021 Parker High School graduate will enthusiastically take on a new artistic challenge Aug. 13-15 when he steps into the role of Cinderella’s stepmother for the Rock River Repertory Theatre production of “Into the Woods” at Parker High.
“The twist on this is that I’m a guy portraying a woman, so I am doing the show in full drag,” Bruegger explained.
“Janesville, Wisconsin doesn’t have a huge drag community, so we don’t have a lot of performers that do these sorts of things. People usually just go see a show, and it’s stereotypical for a guy to play a guy and a girl to play a girl. But we’re kind of switching it up.”
Written by Stephen Sondheim, “Into the Woods” tells the story of a baker and his wife who remain childless due to a witch’s curse. To break the spell, the pair must venture off into the forest and recover four items: a milk-white cow, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper of gold and a blood-red cape.
The couple’s search for these items brings them in contact with famous fairy tale characters Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Jack (of beanstalk fame), each of whom also has a wish he or she wants granted. Though all parties’ desires eventually come to fruition, each is accompanied by unexpected and disastrous consequences.
Though Bruegger’s turn as Cinderella’s stepmother also was unexpected (he was originally tabbed to play Cinderella’s steward), his willingness to tackle the role likely helped the production avoid some disastrous consequences of its own.
“I was having an issue finding an actress to do the role,” said director Jim Tropp. “I was at rehearsal one night, and I’m watching, and I knew Hunter did drag because he was a student at Parker and I had seen photos. So I checked with our music director (Jacob Schmidt) and asked him if he thought maybe Hunter could do (the role), because there is some singing involved. Jacob was like, ‘Yeah, he could do it.’
“When (Hunter) came over by me that night and we were talking, I just asked him out of the blue if he would consider playing the stepmother in drag,” Tropp said. “There was no hesitation. He was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’d do it,’ and that was it.”
For some time now, Bruegger—who plans to attend UW-Stevens Point this fall in pursuit of a drama degree—has been cultivating his own drag alter-ego persona, Layla Lovegoode. A longtime fan of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Bruegger even dedicated a large part of his free time during COVID-19 lockdown to perfecting his makeup skills in preparation.
“(Layla is) super fun, and I enjoy putting her on sometimes in my own house,” he said. “Someday, I would like to be able to perform on an actual stage or in a club and actually have my own show. I love doing theater, and I see that more as a career option, but having drag is like a different side.”
“If you think about it, the aspects are the same,” he added. “They’re all about performance, doing your own thing and being open-minded.”
Despite being a self-proclaimed introvert, Bruegger said he enjoys the attention he gets on stage. And as he continues to gain comfort with his role as a drag artist, he said he is not concerned by any criticism drawn from his new role.
Having a strong cast flush with familiar faces by his side also should help quell any worries.
“I don’t have any fear, because it’s like, yeah, this is gonna get attention, but then it’s also going to get attention for all of my amazing castmates,” Bruegger said. “There are so many talented people here with so many memorable faces from the Parker stage in years past. It’s like giant family reunion, so I don’t really feel like it’s just about me. It’s about everyone.
“I really don’t feel any pressure,” he said. “I’m just gonna do my thing, and I’m gonna do it great.”
