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franklin Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 • TheFranklinNews.com
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Pulitzer play to be performed ‘Uncommon Women and Others’ shows next week
By Brittney Corum
brittney.corum@franklincollege.edu
The toughest decision most college students have to make is how late they can wake up and still make it to class on time. But a group of college women in a 1970s play must decide whether to become a housewife or go down an unknown career path without support. The theatre department’s next play, “Uncommon Women and Others,” is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein. It tells the story of a group of recently graduated women making big life decisions while still in college. Guest director Gretchen Hall said she picked the play because of the amount of women she was told would audition from the college’s theatre department. “It’s a play that takes place on a women’s college campus in 1972,” Hall said. “I thought that would be really appealing to women in this school and would be appropriate for this age group who are going through similar things.” Hall is a New York City actress and director with credits in TV shows “Gossip Girl,” “Louie” and “Law & Order.” “There is a lot of humor, and there are women characters that are relatable to the students and that are going through some of the same issues,” Hall said. The story of the play centers on a cast of graduated college students from Mount Holyoke College. At a lunch meeting in 1978, they start talking about their past and their future. The 1970s were a time of bell-bottom pants and the second wave of feminism.
At the decade’s peak, the cast tries to discover and define themselves. The students acting are playing a wide range of characters, from lonely to confused. “My character is raunchy, blunt … and independent,” junior Kiera Shackelford said. Shackelford’s character, Rita Altabel, directly contrasts the character Mrs. Plum, played by senior Kelsey Stouse. Stouse said Mrs. Plum is “dutiful” and “compassionate.” She said she hopes the audience learns how far women have come from the play. “I hope that they leave with a sense of … where the feminist movement is going and what it means for every woman to be equal,” Stouse said. Sophomore Abigail Morris said her character, Muffet DiNicola, is “attractive” and “sarcastic.” This is Morris’ sixth performance at Franklin College. “I hope that people – particularly women – can find a character they identify with,” Morris said. “They’re all going through a transition period and trying to figure out what they want and who they are. I think college students will identify with that.” The show will run at 8 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 18 through Saturday, Nov. 21 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. Performances are in Theatre Margot in the Johnson Center for Fine Arts.
Evan Watkins: The Franklin Top: Juniors Kiera Shackleford and Alexis Brown, sophomore Alaina May and senior Emily Meese recieve instruction from guest director Gretchen Hall during a rehersal for ‘Uncommon Women and Others.’ Bottom: The cast of the play warms up lines before rehearsal.
Check out an exclusive behind the scenes video of play researsal at TheFranklinNews.com.
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