Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
From Oct. 12-15, the Berry College Theatre Company will be performing the show All My Sons at the Sisters Theatre. All My Sons is an American play written by Arthur Miller in 1947 that takes place in the year 1946 and focuses on the lives of the American people after World War II and the ways that America was changing during this time.
Professor of Theatre Peter Friedrich is the director of the performance. Friedrich has directed several other plays at Berry, such as Men on Boats and The Illusion. Friedrich said that auditions for the show took place during the first week of classes, and the rehearsals began shortly after the auditions. Rehearsals are held from Sunday- Thursday from 6 p.m.–10 p.m. each week. According to Friedrich, scheduling can be difficult because live theater relies heavily on the availability of each cast member. While this can make live performances challenging, Friedrich said that this is part of what makes live theater a unique experience.
“I think there is always something that is really fascinating about live theatre,” Friedrich said. “Just walking that tightrope in front of the public is such a thrill, and it is an experience that you will never forget.”
According to Friedrich, All My Sons is one of the most beloved plays in American history. This show was chosen to be performed first in the year to pay homage to classic modern theatre before the department moves on to performing different material. The next shows that the theatre company will perform were written in the last 10 years, while All My Sons was written 80 years ago. Friedrich said that these plays were chosen to offer a variety of different types of shows within a season.
Senior Auryanna Dunlap will be performing as the lead, Kate Keller. According to Dunlap, Keller is a mother who lost her son in the war. Dunlap had watched the movie and read the book before auditioning for the show, but she had not seen the live performance of All My Sons. Dunlap said that Keller’s character is very heavy, and it has been challenging to get into the role of a character who has delt with such an intense loss.
“What does it feel like to have the entire world celebrate around you, when you have just lost one of the most important things in your life?” Dunlap said. “I kind of analyzed that, knowing I was going to audition for Kate. I thought about how someone who has gone through a traumatic experience like that would move, talk, and breathe.”
Dunlap said that the audition involved choosing and reciting two monologues separate from All My Sons. Dunlap knew that she wanted to audition for the role of Keller, so she chose monologues that would allow her to demonstrate her ability to show emotion in a character. Dunlap believes that the most difficult part of her role has been learning to separate her own life from the life of her character.
“Sometimes when you are performing in characters that are emotionally vulnerable, there is this habit of letting that carry over into your personal life,” Dunlap said. “The most challenging part has been figuring out how to leave that on stage.”
Sophomore Cate Mendes will be playing the role of Lydia Lubey. According to Mendes, Lubey’s character is very bubbly and funny, and she often appears on stage to relieve tension during the high-stakes moments of the show. Mendes said that her character has several long breaks between appearances, and it can be difficult for Mendes to stay in character during these long breaks. Despite the challenges, Mendes said that she has enjoyed some of the different warm-ups that the cast has done before rehearsals.
“For our warm-ups, they will ask us to identify three new things about the space around us,” Mendes said. “This is really difficult, because we are there every day. Doing this helps you get into a good headspace, and I really like that.”
Friedrich said that he hoped that the students involved in the show can enjoy the experiences, as well as learning more about the characters and the time period.
“It is one thing to just say the lines and walk around, but it is another thing to try and embody that person, and what they wanted and dreamed of,” Friedrich said. “Once you do that, you start doing a live performance that is really unforgettable.”