STAGE Prepares "Hush": Keep Your Eyes Closed

by Sara Prygocki, staff reporter

From left to right: Meredith Sullivan, Geronimo Kelley, Julia Dillon, Robby Treichel, and Anna Panell

This spring’s stage production, Hush: Voices of America, written by James Still is being performed this year at Sturgis Wests’ amphitheatre on April 4th through 6th.
This play is about a young blind girl Maggie, performed by senior Shannon Lindlau, who goes on many wild adventures while living with her father, played by sophomore Dan Souza.
“I think this play is about the media and how it should all be taken with a grain of salt because things get misinterpreted,” Shannon explains. “It revolves around Maggie, and I adore her!”
Shannon and Dan are supported by a highly talented group of actors including freshman Anna Rohlf, sophomores Jack Watters, Dean Smith, Julia Dillon, Anna Panell, and Lily Paradise. Juniors Robby Triechel, Geronimo Kelley, Czarina Shartle, Meredith Sullivan, and Molly Brennan along with seniors Jackson Fryer, Curran Olsen, Anna Michael, and Brenna Joyce. Juniors Hannah McLaughlin and Olivia Milsted are Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager, respectively.
“A lot of things in this play are specifically made to be unclear. The audience should not know if imaginary creation or if Maggie’s actually met them,” Mrs O says. “This play is about learning that just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn’t there.
“Being invisible is not the same as being unreal. It’s all about learning to trust the ones you love,” Dan remarks.
Hush will be performed in an entirely new space, literally - the audience will sit in what is normally the staging area at the West auditorium, while the steps which are usually seating become the stage. Anna Michael states that, “the change of scenery will really add to this performance because there are many scenes that happen simultaneously, so the different levels will do a lot to differentiate the space.”
Curran comments: “I have to act like someone who doesn't fall down the stairs, a great acting challenge for any clumsy thespian.”
The cast is truly excited to be sharing this experience with an audience, and with the combination of Sturgis West in the equation, it promises to be an unforgettable performance. The show promises to leave audiences with the message that if you want to see something, sometimes all you have to do is close your eyes.