By Jayson Larson/TVCC Public Information
The Trinity Valley Community College Department of Theatre is turning the idea of interactive theater – where the cast often leaves the stage to keep the plot moving forward in and among the audience – upside down.
Audience, it’s your turn to take the stage.
The department is putting the finishing touches on its final performance of the fall, “Playhouse Creatures,” set to run Nov. 13-16 in a transformed TVCC Auditorium. Regular seating in the auditorium will be closed and the department has erected two-tier seating on the stage. Because of that, only a limited number of tickets – 75 – will be available for each performance.
Theatre director Craig Lee said the seating change will guarantee that any member of the audience is never farther than 10 feet away from the action.
“The audience is going to feel almost like it is eavesdropping on the behind-the-scenes action,” Lee said. “It’s going to be a challenge for the actors, but it’s an exciting challenge. We’re hoping this creates a really different experience for the audience in that they feel more a part of what’s happening onstage.”
The show is set in the mid- to late-1600s and centers on a time when the first English actresses are permitted onstage. Previously, the art of theater was reserved for men – who would even dress as females to play the roles written for women. The plot focuses on five famous females – Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton – who provide a moving and often comical account of the precarious lives of Restoration actresses.
Lee said each character in the play is a real actress from the era, although playwright April De Angelis took some creative liberties in allowing the actresses to appear in same time period though they lived at different times.
“This play deals with a number of social issues including sexuality and ageism – so much of what we still see happening in Hollywood today,” Lee said. “These women were kind of the celebrities of their day, like the Kardashians and the Hiltons. They were a real novelty to audiences. People wanted to know what they were doing. They wanted a piece of them.”
Lee said the cast consists of eight students – three sophomores and five freshmen. The show, he added, provides the latest example that drama students who come to TVCC immediately get valuable experience.
“When you’re a freshman and you come here, you’re going to have an opportunity to get right on stage,” he said. “You’re experiencing hands-on learning from Day 1.”
The cast consists of: Samantha Clark as Doll Common; Mekaela Weaver as Mrs. Elizabeth Farley; Miranda Womack as Mrs. Nell Gwynn; Caitlyn Garcia as Mrs. Betterton; Rochelle Shaw as Mrs. Marshall; Halie Smith as Mrs. Barry; Mason Jones as The Earl of Rochester/Wit; and Joseph Garcia as Thomas Otway. Savannah Joblin is stage manager and assistant lighting designer, with Gaubriella Drollinger and Miracle Lewis serving as assistant stage managers. Miranda Womack is in charge of costume design.
Biz Nelson is handling set and lighting design, while Bohb Nelson is the show’s technical director.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15. A 2:30 p.m. matinee will close out the show on Sunday, Nov. 16. Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for students in the area and free for all TVCC faculty, staff and students with a valid college ID.
Playhouse Creatures is Rated R for adult language and adult themes. For more information about showtimes, seating or tickets, call 903-675-6290.