This journey began almost two years ago when I was working front desk at nuEra Urbana. Christiana M. Harkulich came in, the topic of shows being submitted to The Station Theatre came up, and Harkulich brought up Reefer Madness the Musical. I had never seen the iconic 2005 movie, but the idea of a dispensary sponsoring the musical was both hilarious and brilliant. Eventually I did familiarize myself with the text, and that idea followed me to my next job in the industry: working at The Dispensary's newest location.
If I remember correctly, I brought this idea to district manager Jeff Soensken while I was putting together a chair before our soft opening last June. This would be the first musical ever produced by a dispensary, and this unique idea is exactly the kind of thing a small business like The Dispensary wants to be able to do. Before I knew it, Jeff had gotten Green Thumb and Aeriz on board to sponsor the project. We were later able to secure The Canopy Club as a performance venue, and then we even got Nature's Grace & Wellness on board as another sponsor! It was time for The Dispensary to make history.
Since auditions, I have been blessed with an incredible cast. Not only do they have me laughing throughout all our rehearsals, they have also stepped into roles outside of what they originally were asked. This has truly been a unique experience, and they have rolled with any punches thrown my way. I am so honored that several members of the cast and crew used this as an opportunity to return to theatre. As someone who firmly believes that theatre has a place for everyone, this production has reignited a love for the artform I think COVID took away from me.
Doing something that's never been done before is hard, but this experience has shown me that all it takes is an idea. "Reefer Madness" (1936) was shown throughout churches across America because of fear of what marijuana could do. Now, this production shows us exactly what marijuana can do: entertain an audience for roughly two hours :) As you go home tonight with "The Truth" stuck in your head, I hope you will take three things with you: 1) Don't accept drugs from someone who claims to teach Swing Dance lessons, 2) Don't let anyone exploit your fear, and 3) REEFER gives you the MUNCHIES.
Please enjoy the show! I'll see you at The Dispensary!
-Jasmine Elam
Director, Production Manager
