Luke Eddy, assistant professor of movement, is directing the next Stage II production of the spring season, and his first production at OCU.
Gloria by Branden Jacob-Jenkins will be performed at 8 p.m. Feb. 14-16 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 17 in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center.
Eddy said the play was chosen last year by a former faculty member who left OCU in the summer. Gloria is the first play Eddy has directed in his five years at OCU.
“It was sort of a natural fit for me to step into the director’s position, and I couldn’t be happier that I did. It’s been a really fantastic process getting to work with students I’ve had in class, and some that I haven’t,” Eddy said. “Everybody seems to have come together into this tight-knit ensemble. They’ve been doing a fantastic job.”
Eddy said the play is about balancing life and ambition.
“The story is one that deals a lot with personal ambition and characters that are striving to find their place in the world but aren’t quite sure how to go about doing that in a healthy way,” Eddy said. “This play pulls back the curtain on a lot of people who feel that tug of ambition but don’t know how to balance it with the rest of their lives.”
Many of the actors play multiple characters, Eddy said.
Freia Pamintuan, acting freshman, portrays “Kendra” in the play.
“The story takes place in a publishing firm at an office,” Pamintuan said. “I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a huge twist right before the second act. It escalates because every character in the show has inclinations to write stories about this tragedy that happened in the office. So, the question is, whose story is it to tell?”
LilyAna Nowicki, acting junior, portrays “Ana,” “Sasha” and “Callie” in the play. Nowicki said the message of the play is to take in and enjoy what’s around you before it’s gone.
“I think going to see it as an audience member, it’s going to be heavy to watch. It’s supposed to make you think,” Nowicki said. “You have to listen closely to what the characters are saying, because the message is inside.”
Nowicki said the rehearsal process feels open and non-judgmental.
“The process has been fun, I’ve gotten to know everyone so well,” Nowicki said. “Luke Eddy is a phenomenal director. The rehearsal space is very open, so you feel like you can make bold choices, and you’re not going to be laughed at or told ‘no.’”
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance. All tickets will be available through the ticket office in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center. There are only 66 seats per performance.
Eddy said the audience should learn something from the play.
“I hope that people will be able to see a part of themselves in the play, for better or for worse,” Eddy said. “Maybe they will walk away from it with a clearer sense of how to care for one another.”
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