|
|
|
|
 |
|
COLLEGE PLAY, ACTORS TO COMPETE IN THEATER FESTIVAL |
|
|
|
|
December 22, 2008
GROVE CITY, Pa. – When the curtain lowered on Grove City College’s spring production of “La Bête,” little did the cast know it wasn’t the final act – not by a long shot.
Almost a year after David Hirson’s Molière-inspired comedy hit the College stage, director Betsy (Boak ’77) Craig and the cast will raise the curtain once again as part of a regional competition of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Philadelphia, Pa., from Jan. 13-17, 2009. Several of the play’s actors and a number from the fall performance of “As You Like It” and the spring’s “Lettice and Lovage” will also compete in the regional event.
It is the first year Grove City College has submitted its theatrical productions to be considered for the festival. About 20 productions were nominated out of more than 100 reviewed. “As You Like It” was nominated but did not make the final cut.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from various colleges and universities. There are eight regions; the College’s region includes Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Judges will select four to six of the best and most diverse productions from the regional contests to be showcased at the non-competitive national festival at the Kennedy Center in Washingon, D.C.
Craig, associate professor of English and theater, originally submitted the spring productions to receive critical and educational feedback from the reviewers. Because Grove City has a slim production budget and no theater major, she didn’t think more would come out the process.
“It’s a pretty rigorous evaluation of your play,” she said. When representatives from the Kennedy Center festival attended the performances, they spent more than two hours critiquing the productions with the actors and Craig.
The result? In addition to their selections of best performers, the reviewers also nominated “La Bête” as a whole – and later “As You Like It” – for inclusion in the regional festival.
To say that Craig was surprised that “La Bête” received the critical support needed to make the final cut is an understatement, but she believes several elements helped the play slip in as bit of a festival “dark horse.”
Written in iambic pentameter, “La Bête” won numerous awards including the New York Newsday/Oppenheimer Award, Great Britain’s Lawrence Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year, as well as five Tony award nominations and six Drama Desk awards, including Best Play of 1991.
“The script itself is extremely well-written,” Craig said. “It’s densely written, it’s really rich and it’s topical.” Because of the influence of Molière, “this is more like a symphony,” she added. “Each line has to be perfectly delivered and directed.”
“La Bête” is the story of Elomire, played by senior Pierce Babirak of Scarborough, Maine, a playwright who is forced to play second fiddle to a lesser writer and actor Valere, played by Doug Baker ’08. But Valere wins over Elomire’s patron Prince Conti, played by Jesse Aukeman ’08, and Elomire must choose between his art and his career. Patrick McElroy ’08 played the part of Bejart; and senior Jennifer Ford of Rochester, N.Y., played Dorine.
Craig applauded the cast. “I think that I just had a confluence of really talented students.” Hirson himself came to campus to see the play, and Craig believes his presence helped sharpen everyone’s performance.
Now, she is organizing the logistics of transporting the cast, set, props and costumes to Philadelphia. Each competing production has exactly four hours to unload and construct the set, prepare and perform, no small feat even for “La Bête,” which is staged in a littler theater format.
Craig will have the assistance of technical support staff, as well as several students. Junior LeeAnn Yeckley of Cranesville, Pa., who served as the original technical director, will oversee the setup, with the help of senior Grace Jennings of Middlesex, N.J.; junior Greg Faulconbridge of Grove City, Pa.; and senior Jenna Dailey of Concord, Ohio.
It’s a rare chance to revisit a great play, said McElroy, who is an English teacher at Grove City High School. He said he has received strong support from the school’s administration to participate in the festival.
“To be able to go back and do the same show again is an amazing opportunity,” he said. “Everything you think you could have done better, you can do.”
Actors from other College productions will join Babirak, Baker and McElroy in the regional individual acting competition for Irene Ryan Scholarships. Reviewers selected three actors from Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “As You Like It”: senior Amanda Griswold of Clarence, N.Y., as Rosalind; junior George Hampe of New Brighton, Pa., as Orlando; and senior Chris Capitolo of Glenside, Pa., as Jaques. Junior Kevin Gaul of Stow, Ohio, received an invitation as an alternate, for his work as Silvius. Sophomore Rebecca Sherman of Avon Lake, Ohio, also earned a nomination for her performance as Lettice Douffet in playwright Peter Shaffer’s “Lettice and Lovage.” Elanor Snyder ’08 also earned a nod for her role as Lotte Schoen but will not compete.
All Irene Ryan contestants prepare two dialogues with an acting partner and one monologue. McElroy, who directs Grove City High School productions, has worked with his acting partner, senior Luke Whipple of Freedom, Pa., for a couple of weeks.
Whipple will also serve as acting partner for Baker. Gaul is acting partner for Hampe and Sherman; sophomore Abigail Van Patter of Matthews, N.C., will partner with Babirak and Griswold; and senior Darin Miller of Line Lexington, Pa., will assist Capitolo.
Starting Jan. 5, contestants will return to campus to perfect their audition pieces with the help of Craig.
Since 1972, the Irene Ryan Foundation has awarded scholarships to the outstanding student performers at each regional festival. These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of the late Irene Ryan, who portrayed Granny Clampett in “The Beverly Hillbillies.” The foundation awards regional awards and two fellowships annually. Regional acting winners will go on to the national festival in Washington, D.C.
| |
|
|
|
|
Print Page
