Briana DeGiulio, who grew up in Wilmette, stars in the Chicago Children’s Theater’s hit musical “The Hundred Dresses.” The show is adapted from the classic story about bullying and the importance of bystander intervention.
We talked with Briana about her role and the play:
What is “The Hundred Dresses” about?
My character comes from Poland. She has an accent, her mother is dead, and she only has one dress. Kids make fun of her, so she tells them she has 100 dresses, but she only wears one.
How do kids react to this show?
Kids can relate in so many ways to the characters. They can really see themselves as almost any character in this show. And the kids are so interactive. At the show this morning, they were yelling, “That’s not nice,” and sticking up for me when I was being bullied.
Is the cast adults or children?
There are 8 adults in the cast and 2 are older and play the adults. The rest of us play 9-year-olds. We’re all short, so kids believe it!
Do you do a lot of children’s theater?
This is my first kid’s show since college (she was a theater major at DePaul University). Last year I was in “Girls vs. Boys” at House Theatre of Chicago, (definitely not a children’s show!) “Cherrywood” at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co and “Yeast Nation” at A.T.C.
So it sounds like you’re a busy, working actor.
That’s the great thing about Chicago. It’s a welcoming community. It’s small, so everyone knows everyone and there’s lots of opportunity. You can actually work, unlike L.A. or New York, where you’re serving tables and looking for work.
What can we see you in after “The Hundred Dresses?”
I’ll be in “Port,” which is opening at the Griffin Theatre in January.
Click here to read what Laura and her daughter thought of “The Hundred Dresses.”
