Actors, directors hit the road
Moving to different locations in Michigan presents new challenges for all of the students involved in this year's summer theatre.
The three comedies, "The Complete History of America (Abridged)," "A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking" and "Red Herring," will be performed in Boyne City and Waterford in July.
Not only do the students act in a different locations, all three sets had to be built so that they could be taken down and packed into two large trucks, along with the costumes, props and some lighting equipment.
The crew has been able practice taking down and putting up sets in Bush Theatre, said Steve Berglund, University Theatre director and communication and dramatic arts professor.
All 11 student cast members must perform double-duty on the trip. In addition to their acting role, Midland junior Elise Essenmacher is a lighting board operator and White Lake senior Natalie Loveland is the wardrobe manager for the other two plays.
Loveland said she was more nervous for the other shows than her own performance.
"It makes you well-rounded," she said.
York has been involved in Summer Theatre for three years, and said this summer has been especially great.
"It really depends on the group," he said. "You need fun people."
Communication and dramatic arts professor Tim Connors said traveling is a great experience for students to perform in a new space. One of the theaters is considerably smaller than Bush Theatre, while the other is much larger.
"It's a different audience-performer relationship," he said.
While traveling may be new for some of the cast, Berglund said many of the staff involved have worked in Summer Theatre for years. Berglund has been part of the summer crew for 22 years as a director and one year as an actor.
"It's great for University Theatre to become the face of the university there," he said. "They like to have us back."
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