Stage Scene
Cast steps up to royal roles in 'Cinderella'

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Making these fairy-tale characters believable is easier said than done, as the cast of "Cinderella" learns. From left, Jason D. Wells as the Prince, Tara Melia Hunt as Cinderella, Stefanie Smart as the Queen, Devon Guard as the Fairy Godmother and Laurence Paxton as the King. Eye of the Islands Photography "Cinderella" 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, repeating Thursdays through Sundays through July 22 Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapu'u Ave. $10-$40; discounts for seniors, military, students 733-0274

But on stage, Tara Melia Hunt and Jason D. Wells, the actors who play the fairy-tale parts in Diamond Head Theatre's production of "Cinderella," wholly transform.

She's wholesome and idealistic. He's coolly aloof and debonair.

Becoming these unreal cookie-cutter characters isn't as easy as putting on a tiara or perfecting the waltz.

"How do you make these characters real?" Hunt asked rhetorically. "It's really hard, because these are fairy-tale characters. They're stereotypes. It's hard to relate to them."

But making these unbelievable characters believable is part of the challenge.

"It's in the way you speak and relate to other people," Hunt said. "That's what makes it real."

Hunt and Wells may not be carbon copies of the characters they portray. But it's not hard to see how they got the parts.

With her girl-next-door looks and sweet smile, the 22-year-old Hunt easily looks the part of the good-girl housemaid-turned-princess. But the Kane'ohe resident and recent University of Hawai'i-Manoa graduate is not one to watch the world flit by. With an ambition to perform in musical or opera theater, Hunt is leaving for the Boston Conservatory in August to pursue a master's degree in music with an emphasis in voice.

And Wells, with his Southern suave and athletic build, is more than just a well-mannered 26-year-old from Atlanta. Pursuing his second bachelor's degree at Hawai'i Pacific University in computer information systems — he already has a degree in management from Georgia Tech — Wells is keeping his options open. He may stay in Hawai'i; he may not. He may train to be an Air Force pilot; he may work in marketing.

Getting into character wasn't easy for either of them.

"One of the hardest things is to play really sweet and innocent people," said Hunt, who appeared that way during a lunch interview, to which she wore a long floral dress with roses and lace. "There's so many different levels of that. Finding the right one is hard."

To make the character more believable, she is playing her as a dreamer who is happy with who she is but aspires for something more.

Wells had other problems: "Not trying to sound like a hick," he said with a laugh.

He had to learn to suppress his slight Southern accent, especially when saying "I," "horse" and "marry."

"It's funny," he said. "I don't realize I'm doing it."

One good thing: Both Hunt and Wells bring years of stage experience to their performances.

Hunt, who has been in several local productions, just finished a memorable role as "Norma" in "Victor/Victoria," a character the complete opposite of "Cinderella." Wells, who performed in musical theater and revues in Georgia, landed nonspeaking parts on "Pearl Harbor" and "Windtalkers."

"I was blown to many pieces," Wells said of his "Pearl Harbor" role, beaming with pride. "I'm worldwide."

Their roles in "Cinderella" have given both actors the chance to develop different aspects of their craft. Namely, dancing.

The couple has a two-minute ballroom sequence, in which they have to waltz with each other and with the characters who play the king and queen.

"Dancing is not my strong point," admitted Hunt. "Neither one of us has a strong dance background."

What Hunt and Wells do have is an obvious chemistry.

On first meeting, you'd think they'd been friends for years, taking acting class or auditioning for roles together. They laugh at the same jokes and quote lines from movies. They even have pet names (that can't be printed) for each other. The truth is they met just a few weeks ago at the reading for these parts.

And it was faint at first sight.

Hunt, who was recovering from a herniated disc, went in for a second reading. Still a bit dazed from medication, she plugged ahead, trading lines with Wells, whom she met for the first time that day.

"Then all of a sudden, I see spots," Hunt recalled. "I said, 'Stop. I'm going to faint.' "

It's been a joke between them ever since.

"I felt like a huge stud," joked Wells.

Added Hunt: "Just trying to make this whole thing as dramatic as possible."