Loy Norrix’s production of “Middletown,” written by Will Eno, will be in full swing in the Kasdorf Auditorium this Thursday through Sunday.
“So, Middletown is about a little town called Middletown. Its population is around 70 people, so everyone knows each other, and there are a lot of heavy topics. All of the characters have a problem,” explained Radford. “The play goes through the lives of everyone in town, from an astronaut, to a woman getting pregnant.” said student director Alyssandra Radford.
The cast and crew consists of about 40 people. We all see the actors, of course, but behind the scenes you have the director, sound designers, stage hands, stage managers, lighting crew, spotlight and light board operators. Students also have helped build the sets, and parents will work the front of the house in the box office. Student ushers will be seating audience members and handing out programs.
The cast members have had about 5-6 weeks to prepare for the play.
“The process [refersals] have been going ok,” said Radford. “We definitely have a lot of new people which me and Lafferty are both very excited about. It’s nice to be able to teach the people, with little to no experience, and watch them grow.”
The story of “Middletown” is considered edgier because of the more heavy themes it deals with in comparison to the musical “Urinetown,” which Norrix produced last December.
“‘Middletown’ is definitely a lot more somber than ‘Urinetown’. It’s just a perfect mix of a melancholy, light-hearted feeling in one,” said Radford.
The audience follows Mary Sawnson, played by Gracie Harris, as she deals with moving to a new city. She also is creating new meaningful relationships with resident John Dodge, played by Reed Davis and others.
The “Middletown” audience will see how the main characters deal with overcoming challenges such as suicidal thoughts and self depreciation, with humorous details sprinkled throughout.
“Middletown” is a town with so many stories and side plots which leads to a variety of scenery and a very involved tech crew.
The play uses upwards of 130 cues which is a signal towards other actors or crew to carry out an action. These cues include quick scene changes to convey varying locations, from outer space to a library to a small town. The effortless transitions couldn’t be done without help from the crew, who deal with sound, lights, props, and costumes.
“I manage the stage crew, so every time a scene change happens, I’m usually involved in it and coordinating it before it happens,” said backstage manager Willow Durham. “So [I’m] making sure everyone knows where they’re going and what they’re taking on, also making sure the actors stay quiet and that props don’t get lost.”
