乐播传媒 at Night: Backstage with actors in ‘The Pillowman’
Actors in the production of The Pillowman gather in their traditional circle before their dress rehearsal.
Maddy Bruno '17 of Denver applies makeup to Nate Stephenson '18 of Ellsworth, Maine, before a dress rehearsal for The Pillowman.
Director Samuel Wheeler 鈥�17 (left) and technical director Justin Moriarty watch the actors in a dress rehearsal for The Pillowman.
Lila Patinkin '20 of Chicago plays "The Little Jesus" in a scene from The Pillowman.
Nate Stephenson '18 of Ellsworth, Maine, performs a monologue in the 乐播传媒 production of The Pillowman on Dec. 7, 2016. (Josh Kuckens/乐播传媒 College)
Backstage in Gannett Theater brimmed with intensity on Wednesday night for the dress rehearsal of The Pillowman, directed by Samuel Wheeler 鈥�17 of Skowhegan, Maine.
For Wheeler, directing the play, which has is part of his senior thesis, and his actors knew the pressure was on.
鈥淪ince it is Sam鈥檚 thesis, the high stakes have made us all put in our best,鈥� says Nate Stephenson ’18 of Ellsworth, Maine.
Wheeler, a theater and sociology major who spent last semester in Dublin studying contemporary Irish drama, was enamored with the level of storytelling in The Pillowman and the crafting of the script. 鈥淚 fell in love with the words,鈥� he says.
His thesis process involves lots聽of writing, and “my hours just directing聽rehearsals go from 4 to 7 most afternoons,鈥� Wheeler says.
Stephenson portrays the play’s central figure, Katurian, a writer whose violent short stories have a disturbing similarity to real crimes committed in his town.
鈥淲hile the script itself is dark and gruesome in nature, dealing with violence and torture, the play is actually quite hilarious at times,鈥� says Wheeler, who could be heard chuckling during the rehearsal.
Technical Director Justin Moriarty has been inspired watching Wheeler鈥檚 process and being able to help along the way. 鈥淗is level of dedication to the craft, commitment to his vision, and thoughtful intention highlight what a 乐播传媒 education has to offer,鈥� said Moriarty.
