Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
Ali Luciani, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor
Berry College Theatre Company (BCTC) is putting on a production of Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World” this week. Unlike traditional musicals, the show is a song cycle, meaning it is told entirely through music without dialogue, focusing on pivotal life decisions and human emotions. There are only four lead roles in the production, simply titled “Woman One,” “Woman Two” “Man One,” and “Man Two.”
Junior Ella Hazel Rambin, who plays Woman One, explained how the structure of this production differs from traditional musicals.
“It’s different because it doesn’t have any dialogue necessarily; it’s all song, as opposed to a typical musical,” Rambin said. “‘Songs for a New World’ kind of represents the world that we’re taken to after making a life-changing decision.”
Brown described the central theme of the production.
“It’s about one moment,” Brown said. “It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand or turn around and go back.”
The performers’ approach to their roles reflect this theme, as each moment on stage represents a turning point rather than a part of a continuous storyline. While each of the four lead roles is played by a single performer, these roles do not depict one consistent character throughout the show. Instead, each actor steps into a variety of distinct individuals across different songs, each facing their own life-changing decisions.
The structure of the show shapes how performers contribute on stage, allowing them to explore a wide range of emotions and experiences through the different characters.
“Each song is like a different scenario, a different character,” Rambin said. “It’s about change and decision-making through times of adversity.”
Although each song features a different character, Rambin said she looks for the emotional connections that link them together. By identifying the shared experiences and themes across the individuals she portrays, she can bring consistency and depth to her performance.
“Each character does kind of have their own character arc even though they are different,” Rambin said. “So, while technically yes, each song is a different woman, they’re all still very similar. My characters are primarily singing about ideas of love and relationships throughout their songs.”
Sophomore Preston Green is playing a role in the ensemble, supporting the four lead performers throughout the show. While the leads take center stage to convey pivotal life moments, the ensemble helps bring depth and dimension to each scene. Their presence reinforces the emotions being expressed and creates a richer, more immersive experience for the audience.
“A lot of the time, it’s a lot of solo moments where people are singing about a certain feeling that they are feeling in their moment of their life,” Green said. “For those solo moments, the ensemble was there to portray the emotion and be there as an audience member in a way to listen to the story that’s being told.”
Since the show centers on individual experiences, performers are also able to connect themes of the show to their own lives. Green said that while he always had a love for science and math, his passion for theatre grew stronger during his previous semester, when he was presented with a potentially life-changing decision of his own.
“I kind of feel like the end of last semester was kind of like my wall,” Green said. “I hit it, and I had to make a choice of whether I wanted to stay with chemistry or to back away and pursue something that I loved. I think that’s what this musical is all about: having to make those tough decisions in that moment.”
Behind the scenes, stage manager and freshman Grace Robershaw is responsible for keeping the production organized. Her role requires constant communication between all parts of the production, ensuring that rehearsals run efficiently and all technical elements are aligned.
“My biggest job is making sure the actors are taken care of,” Robershaw said. “For each rehearsal, I keep a log of anything the director needs communicated to set, costumes, music, lighting or sound. So, I’m kind of like a call center, almost.”
Robershaw explained that communication during rehearsals is organized through what the team calls “rehearsal reports,” a shared Google document that tracks everything from sound and lighting to costumes. During rehearsal, Robershaw records any notes or updates, as well as the start and end times and when breaks occur, ensuring every detail is documented.
“And so at the end of each rehearsal, that gets sent out to our lighting designer, sound designer and costumes,” Robershaw said. “Pretty much anyone that’s involved in the show, that document gets sent out to them, and then once a week, we all meet together in person for production meetings.”
David Nesbit, Reinhardt University’s theatre department coordinator, is directing BCTC’s production of “Songs for a New World.” The show will run through April 12, with Wednesday through Saturday performances starting at 7 p.m. and a Sunday matinee beginning at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at berry.edu/onstage.