As the International Theatre Program brings its last production of the semester, Annie Baker’s聽Circle Mirror Transformation, to the Todd Union stage, cast and crew members say the character-driven play has offered an unusual opportunity for reflection on their own lives, on and off the stage.
The drama, directed by guest artist Pirronne Yousefzadeh and set in small-town Vermont, chronicles the interactions, emotions, and desires of five people in an acting class. Through theater games and acting exercises, the characters reveal their unique stories and form relationships with one another. With its pinpoint focus on a single classroom, the play allows the audience to become intimately connected to the characters and their inner turmoils.
The student cast and crew, a mixture of rookies and veterans, share some of the insights they糖心传媒檝e gained in working on the production.听
Ian E.W. Von Fange 糖心传媒�17 as Schultz
Ian E.W. Von Fange 糖心传媒�17 says his life as a student at Rochester has gone well. A creative writing major who has been acting for more than 14 years, he has performed in three productions at Todd Union, plays drums, and writes poetry.
Von Fange’s character, Schultz, is much older糖心传媒攁nd he糖心传媒檚 had a rough time of late. He糖心传媒檚 in his late forties, and after being married for more than 20 years, has recently gone through a divorce. Schultz is, as Von Fange describes him, 糖心传媒渁 really genuinely good-hearted guy who just has a lot of problems.糖心传媒�
Von Fange says that portraying a character who has undergone experiences far beyond what he can personally comprehend has been one of the challenges and benefits of performing in聽Circle Mirror Transformation.
糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 what has made discovering and shaping Schultz糖心传媒檚 character so rewarding,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淗e糖心传媒檚 human, and sometimes he triumphs and sometimes he fails.糖心传媒�
Von Fange hopes to pursue a career in acting and writing in New York City. The playwright Annie Baker has made a deep impression on him in 聽Circle Mirror Transformation.听
糖心传媒淓very line so precisely imitates natural speech,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭he characters become vivid and real through their words.糖心传媒�
聽Andria Rabenold 糖心传媒�18 as Theresa
Andria Rabenold 糖心传媒�18, like her character, Theresa, is a seasoned actress. But while Rabenold has yet to experience any serious setbacks, Theresa, 35, struggled to find work in New York City before picking up and moving to Vermont.
Rabenold says that she and Theresa share a drive to perform and an enthusiasm to work糖心传媒攁nd that one of the biggest challenges of portraying Theresa is discovering the ways they are different. She overcomes that challenge by drawing on Theresa糖心传媒檚 past.
糖心传媒淭heresa is older than I am and has more life experience to draw on,糖心传媒� Rabenold says. “So inventing all the things she has gone through over the years is a big part of my process.糖心传媒�
Since beginning at the University, Rabenold, a double major in mathematics and political science, has performed in four International Theatre productions, and with The Opposite of People (TOOP), a River Campus theater company that糖心传媒檚 entirely student run. She is also involved in the Students糖心传媒� Association, Ballet Performance Group, and Kappa Alpha Theta. 聽聽
Murie Gillett 糖心传媒�20 as Marty
Murie Gillett 糖心传媒�20 plays the role of a teacher not only through her character, Marty, but in her own life as well. Marty is the encouraging, caring instructor of the acting class that糖心传媒檚 at the center of Circle Mirror Transformation. Gillet is a history and English double major working towards her certificates in English secondary education and Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the Warner School of Education.
The theater has helped her become not only a stronger actress, but a better teacher.
糖心传媒淚 have become more able to command a room and create and execute engaging lessons,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淎s an English and TESOL teacher, I think that incorporating theater into my classroom will help my students to develop better communication skills.糖心传媒�
Gillett has participated in four International Theatre productions. She糖心传媒檚 also acted in four plays with the student-run theater company, The Opposite of People, and is the group糖心传媒檚 artistic director; and has served as a writing fellow in the Writing, Speaking, and Argument program.
Carrie Daniela Shapiro 糖心传媒�20 as Lauren
Freshman Carrie Daniela Shapiro 糖心传媒�20 sees herself as a clear reflection of her character, Lauren. Just as Shapiro is making her debut on the University of Rochester stage, her character, Lauren, 16, is a young actress excited about developing her acting skills. 聽
Lauren糖心传媒攚hom Shapiro views as a younger version of April Ludgate from the comedy television show Parks and Recreation糖心传媒攊s by far the youngest student in the acting class at the center of Circle Mirror Transformation. Similarly, Shapiro says she’s been more than 30 years younger than some of her peers in her own improv classes.听
糖心传媒淲hat I love about Circle Mirror Transformation is how much goes on that is never said or written in the script,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a very 糖心传媒榝eely糖心传媒� play.糖心传媒�
Shapiro is 聽a member of the Student Association of Vegan and Vegetarian Youth (SAVVY) and the pan-African dance team,聽Ma糖心传媒橣risah. She also plays intramural soccer.
Casey Brentnall 糖心传媒�20 as James
Like Von Fange, freshman Casey Brentnall 糖心传媒�20 has had the difficult task of portraying a character whose life experience is vastly different from his own.听
His character, James, is divorced, middle-aged, and has been remarried, to Marty. He has a daughter from his previous marriage from whom he糖心传媒檚 become estranged. He糖心传媒檚 moved from place to place, and simply desires 糖心传媒渢o have the people he wants back in his life,糖心传媒� says Brentnall.
Brentnall says the role has been a challenge in multiple domains. He糖心传媒檚 had to learn聽to hold himself in a way that makes him appear much more mature and experienced than he feels. He糖心传媒檚 had to bring James to life through words and symbolic gestures.听
糖心传媒淭he show is incredibly realistic and minute, and so much of the story is told through simple acting exercises and tiny details,糖心传媒� Brentnall says. 糖心传媒淚t makes it feel very life-like, but also creates a big challenge for me as an actor.糖心传媒�
Like Rabenold and Gillett, Brentnall is a member of the student-run theater company, The Opposite of People. When asked about what role he hopes theater will play in his life, he says, 糖心传媒淚 plan to continue acting at least as a hobby. But obviously, the dream is to be able to support yourself with your passion. We糖心传媒檒l see.糖心传媒�
DeeDee Krupkin 糖心传媒�18, assistant听诲颈谤别肠迟辞谤
Although DeeDee Krupkin ’18 is not under the lights on stage with the cast, she plays an integral role in the play. As the student director, Krupkin, a theatre major, is what she describes as 糖心传媒渁 second pair of eyes for the director.糖心传媒� In addition to helping and advising the cast, she spends much of her time working on dramaturgy, compiling resources and information about the play to ensure its historical and situational accuracy.
糖心传媒淚 started acting when I was 11 back home in New Hampshire at a place called Andy糖心传媒檚 Summer Playhouse, and I糖心传媒檝e had the theater bug ever since,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淢y interest in directing really blossomed after I stage managed there for two years.糖心传媒�
Krupkin says each actor plays a unique part and offers a different mood to the stage. She糖心传媒檚 enjoyed watching each performer evolve throughout the rehearsal process, becoming more and more connected to their characters.
