“Was it worth it? I think for me, f*** yeah, this entire process was worth it,” Keene State Theater Department Chair Kirstin O’Brien said. “I want to choose a work that makes people have a conversation, not always with the subject matter [of “Really Really”], but risky work and allowing our students to experience that realm of performance.” O’Brien said the choice to direct the play was the type of risk she felt was necessary in theater.
“Really Really” was performed at the Redfern Arts Center Wright Theatre from March 5 to 9 and was directed by O’Brien and Broadway actor Jake Odmark. The production was an original play-write by Paul Downs Colaizzo, loosely based on the 2006 Duke lacrosse case. The show focused on the effects a sexual assault allegation had on the characters.
Due to the topics presented in “Really Really,” O’Brien organized resources for audiences at each performance including Wellness Center staff and sponsors from the Monadnock Crisis Prevention Center. The opening night performance included a talk-back with the cast and crew following the run.
“Pretty much everyone in the audience stayed for the conversation and it’s exactly why I wanted to do the show,” O’Brien said. “I had people coming up to me saying, ‘thank you for doing this important work.’ I think it meant so much.”
Wellness Center Assistant Director for Counseling Services Beth Aronson tabled at the performances.
“We are just here to supply audience support if people have experienced sexual violence,” Aronson said, “We want to make sure that they know who the resources on and around campus are to support them.”
Aronson said the cast and crew’s hard work and open-mindedness throughout the production reflected back into the performances.
“I think these guys are really brave and it’s a very powerful show and it’s about real stuff that really happens and I think they did a beautiful job,” Aronson said.
Regarding the character work, O’Brien said she took measures to ensure the actors were not being overwhelmed by their roles.
“They have to take a moment after the show, they exit the space and they just need to be with themselves for just a brief moment,” O’Brien said. “It could be an hour one night. It could be five minutes one night, but making sure to leave work to the best of their ability at the theater so they don’t take it home with them.”
O’Brien added, “A month from now, they’re probably still going to be processing everything, but just the material of the show and the toll it takes on their mental and physical health, it’s a weight that I don’t know they were prepared for but they are holding it so beautifully and I am just so proud.”
Additionally, O’Brien said she is proud of the cast for persevering through their roles, especially portraying morally flawed characters.
“At some point in this play … You got to relate to them and each of these human beings as actors and as students and I love them so much,” O’Brien said. “ I think they were able to marry who they are as human beings into these very complex characters that are their age, and then in turn, creating a multi-layered version of Paul Downs Colaizzo’s work.”
Junior and Stage Manager Lissa Saunders said her favorite part of the process was experiencing the journey of creating the whole picture alongside the cast.
“In a rehearsal you see the tech elements get added and you get to see everything,” Saunders said. “I [enjoyed] getting to spend time and get to know the actors a lot more, it’s a very involved process so we spend a lot of time together and that helps us get closer.”
Saunders added, “It’s a show that has a lot of meaning and it is about a topic that, especially on a college campus, should be talked about, so I’m glad they took the risk.”
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
