By Erika Morales, Contributing Writer
The Theatre Program at Saint Leo University is preparing its spring performances amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 11 performances are scheduled to take place this spring.
“Our directing students have prepared short plays that are being performed via Zoom, many of which are student-written as well as student-directed,” explained Dr. Alicia Corts, an assistant professor of theatre at Saint Leo.
“Recently we just had our director’s showcase for students in our Directing and Advanced Directing classes,” said Alexa Klein, a senior majoring in psychology and theatre. “Every student was able to fully cast and direct their shows in a manner that followed CDC and Saint Leo social-distancing guidelines.”
Anna Perri, who is majoring in theatre, wrote and directed a 10-minute play called “The Last Letter.”
“[It] is a piece that I wrote about my friendship with my elderly neighbor who passed away last spring,” said Perri. “It featured a cast of four actors and was performed live on Wednesday, April 7.”
“It is a beautiful story about friendship between Caroline, a teen girl wanting to help her neighbor, and Mrs. Darby, an elderly woman who longs to form a relationship after loss,” explained Sidney Dunn, who played the role of Mrs. Darby in the show.
A recording of “The Last Letter” is now available on YouTube so that it can be enjoyed by anyone who was not able to watch the play live.
Dunn also directed a play called “Queer Relationship,” written by Saint Leo theatre alumni Anthony Fontana.
“It is a story of a proposal gone wrong,” said Dunn. The play starred Perri, Fontana, Pam Watkevich, and Corinne Todd.
“Some of the plays were recorded live—masked and socially distanced, of course—the week prior to spring break,” said Perri. “Others will be performed live on Zoom over the next couple of weeks.”
Perri explained how she and her fellow students prepared for their plays.
“I [held]rehearsals on Zoom, outdoors, or—when necessary—indoors, while masked and socially distanced,” she said. “Several of my fellow student directors did the same.”
The seniors in the theatre program are set to produce a one-act performance called “Landry and Bourbon” by James McClure.
“It’s a great show about coming to terms with the choices in life, especially when it comes to love,” Corts said.
Klein explained that she, Jessica Atikinson, and Madison Bonnell will be starring in the show, with the lighting and tech handled by Vincent Toner.
The theatre program has also continued the Apology Station.
“[It is an] interactive performance piece where audience members have the chance to give or receive an apology from anyone in the world,” said Corts. “This one-on-one performance has proven meaningful to a lot of people, as getting an apology can help people to move on from the smallest issues in life to the bigger traumas.”
Even with the spring performances taking place, the theatre program is getting straight to work to be ready for fall. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged” is set to be performed outside in September.
“It’s a hilarious comedy where we perform all of Shakespeare’s plays in a non-stop 90 minutes of physical comedy,” Corts explained.
The Saint Leo theatre program will be posting links to past and future performances on their Instagram page, @stleotheatre.
