Best friends share female lead in musical

Best friends Molly Thornton and Jeannie Robbins are sharing the female lead of Guenevere in the upcoming Central Wyoming College production of Camelot, the musical adaptation of T.H. White’s The Once and Future King.

The two theater majors are fine with taking turns at center stage playing King Arthur’s queen. On their nights off each become a member of the show’s chorus. Alternately performing the female lead, both for the first time, the two women realize they are doing twice the work for half of the stage time.
 
“We were both really worried at auditions that one of us wouldn’t get the part,” said Jeannie, a second year student from Colorado Springs, Colo. “I’m actually relieved that we both get to play the part.”
 
“Jeannie and I are really close friends,” said Molly, who in her third year at Central studies biology in addition to technical theater. “It could have affected (our friendship) if one of us got it and the other did not.”
 
The two said that they were terrified following the audition because Director Mike Myers had both of them reading Guenevere’s part. “We had a pact before that we wouldn’t be mad if the other got the role,” Jeannie said.
 
“Promises are hard to keep, but we didn’t have to,” said Molly.
 
Myers said both were deserving of the only female lead role in the play. “This was Molly’s last chance to play a lead in a musical here,” he said.
 
Having two leading ladies has proved to be somewhat of a challenge for Josiah Sifuentes who plays opposite them in the role of Arthur. Jeannie and Molly have their own interpretation of Guenevere, which “keeps me on my toes,” Josiah explained.
 
While rehearsing Guenevere and Arthur scenes with the three actors, Josiah said “it’s hard to pick which one to talk to.” While rehearsing the Arthur-Guenevere duet, he picks up on the differences in their voice qualities.
 
“It will be a totally different dynamic every other night,” Josiah said of playing opposite of the alternating Gueneveres. “They both definitely can sing. For me, singing with them isn’t as difficult as blocking.”
 
“I’m sure it’s like dating a Siamese twin,” Molly said.
 
As King Arthur, this is Josiah’s first opportunity to work side by side with both Jeannie and Molly. Fortunately for the costumers, the pair is almost the exact same weight and height so they can share the costumes.
 
The two were acquainted when they were both cast in a drama at CWC. Their friendship grew when they were playing nurses in last spring’s production of South Pacific.