Mrs. Ollagnon’s first play directed at Sturgis, “The Laramie Project”, based on the death of Matthew Shepard in Laramie Wyoming, was a great success.
The cast of eleven, including senior Peter Carlson, juniors Augusta Davis, Shannon Lindlau, Jackson Fryer, Mike Moen, Anna Michael, Brenna Joyce, sophomores Geronimo Kelley, Mike Couto, Catherine Etiene, and Molly Brennan, were all very excited to do such a different play.
Alongside assistant director Anna Liebermann and stage manager Czarina Shartle, Mrs O managed to take a play composed only of interviews from more than sixty characters and turn it into a full production.
The stage was set simply with only a few chairs and stools painted white and hangers to hold the various costumes for the production. Overall it was very simple, with very little lighting and the occasional music. Even with the simple set, much of the cast calls the production “awesome.”
Molly Brennan says of the play, “We didn’t know how powerful it was until we were in the middle of it.”
Mrs. Ollagnon seemed popular with the cast.
“She made me feel very comfortable to theatre, being a first timer to S.T.A.G.E.” said Geronimo Kelley. Shannon Lindlau agreed, adding: “She was very fair and supportive to all of us.”
One area in which Mrs. Ollagnon’s style was somewhat difficult for many of the cast and crew was notes and suggestions, where they felt she could be vague.
“She helped us a lot from a character development perspective,” Molly Brennan said. “But she left a lot up to interpretation.”
Mike Couto adds “I know a lot of us would have liked a bit more instruction, but sometimes you don’t always need it to get the job done.”
“Her style worked for me. It wasn’t like Mrs. Botsford’s at all, but it worked,” Anna Michael said.
Czarina Shartle, a first time stage manager, commented that “Mrs Ollagnon was just awesome and made me feel very comfortable in my job.”
Mrs. Ollagnon’s directing debut at Sturgis was an impressive one, and leaves the Sturgis community excited to see what she will do with her next project.
No comments:
Post a Comment