The talented group of young ladies and gentlemen had some big shoes to fill. Most of the performers appear in several scenes in the play portraying many different characters, such as nuns, students, and even cows!
For about two months, the seventeen-member cast and nearly 30 crew members have been rehearsing and preparing for “Women on the Move,” a play inspired by the Benedictine sisters’ journey and history at Saint Leo from their arrival in 1897 to the present day, summarized Dr. Alicia Corts.
“This is a student-written play. Eight students took a class last semester, and they went into deep research into the Benedictine sisters and their history here, and wrote this show based on that.” Continued Corts, Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy and director of “Women on the Move.”
Sophomore and biology major Kristin Vitagliano, who is among the eight student writers and a cast member as well, explains that the writing process took all of the spring 2016 semester and stated, “We were able to edit it to what we’re going to be performing now.”
Sophomore and accounting major Nadia Marshall, who also wrote and stars in the show, elaborated on the writers’ process and research. She explained, “I expressed an opinion that was formed based on the interviews we had with the sisters.”
Marshall is exceptionally proud of the scenes that she wrote. “In the second act, I wrote the presidential election scene which I kind of saw as a reflection of what’s going on today.”
As part of their research and inspiration for the play, the writers frequently met with and spoke to the sisters themselves. The students were moved and surprised by the stories they heard.
“We went to evening prayers with them, and a lot of the show was inspired by that. Through the story, you’ll see there’s going to be some fourth wall breaking to where some conversations that we’ve had with the sisters actually put into the story or based on what the sisters told us about their lives, and we spent and evening with them and a lot of the content was inspired by the sisters,” said Marshall.
Vitagliano further explained, “We only met them [the sisters]once. We went over, and we got to do one of their masses with them, and then they fed us. They have really good food over there, so every mention of food in the play is one-hundred percent true.”
Vitagliano also noted that the sausage scene, which she laughingly described as “a fun scene,” is one of her greatest contributions to the play.
The theater department is using the play as a tribute and an expression of thanks to the sisters for donating Benedictine Hall, which includes the new Black Box Theatre.
Until the play’s showing, the cast and crew have been meeting daily in the Black Box Theatre. A typical four-hour rehearsal session consists of memorizing the script and running lines after a round of breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups, according to Nadia Marshall.
“Women on the Move” will be held in the Black Box Theater on October 28, 29, and 30 at 7:00 pm, with a special 2 pm matinee on Saturday, Oct. 29. Tickets are found at StLeoTheatre@SaintLeo.edu and are
free of charge, but the theater troupe suggests a ten-dollar donation to the sisters in thanks for Benedictine Hall.
