by David Slifer

The theatre production starting this semester with Dani Girl. The story follows Dani, a nine-year-old girl going through her second heartbreaking battle against leukemia. Throughout this process she uses her strong power of imagination to find a way to beat cancer. The show was directed by Andy Mock and music directed by CJ Albee. The cast consisted of the following: Breanna Jones as Dani, Will Hoard as Marty, Demari Jackson as Raph and Azariah Surratt as Dani’s Mother. We also had an understudy (US) performance on Saturday. That cast consisted of Jacquetta Deane as Dani, Casey Johnson as Marty, Jalen Troublefield as Raph and Laiken Skinner as Dani’s Mother.

This show dealt with some heavy topics, such as childhood cancer, a child’s imagination and mortality. As someone involved in this production, these displeasing topics were handled respectfully throughout the entire production process. As the sound designer for this show, it was amazing to see the process come together and put this show on. The cast worked really hard at making their characters come to life, and the crew put in their all to make, the imaginative environment that the characters were in.

When director Andy Mock was asked about what intrigued him about this show, he said “One of the reasons that the show intrigued me was that there was no video or any other photographic material or watchable versions of the show. That way it could become our vision of it with no preconceptions. We took the story, and our combined imaginations, and we used those things to create this picture of Dani’s world.”

Every actor in the show did such a phenomenal job. Jones, (US) Deane, Hoard and (US) Johnson all perfected the act of a nine-year-old. Not only did they play the characters well, but they also did amazingly at using the environment around them to help create their imagination. The songs that really brought the audience in were My Hair which was performed by Jones and Deane, and then Why I Love The Movies which was performed by Hoard and Johnson. These songs give us an idea of who these characters are, and they show us how they both use their imaginations to cope with what is going on around them.

I got to talk with Hoard about the show. When Collegian asked him how it was playing Marty, he said “I really enjoyed being able to play the role as a child. Going into it with that childlike mindset set the whole show up for me as just a space to play.” I later asked him how it was to being part of the overall show and story, to which he responded with “The way that I was able to handle these big moments was to really play off the imagination aspect of the show. If you go into it knowing that it is sad then the show will end up that way, but if you take the sad moments as a part of the story the show becomes hopeful.” It was great getting to talk with him about his process and his view going into this story.

The performance of Raph the Guardian Angel was well performed by both Jackson and Troublefield. With this character, Raph pretends to be different people. These included the personification of cancer, a game show host, God and many others. Both actors brought their own twist and take to this character.

Both actors made their mark as they had everyone laughing at the comedy brought to the show. They both brought their own unique takes to Raph and they both knocked it out of the park. With the different personalities and characters that came with this role, both actors perfectly executed every aspect that came with this character.

Both Surratt and Skinner played the role of Dani’s Mother. This character helps bring reality and risks to this story. With characters like Dani and Marty, their imaginations are used to help them cope with their reality, but Dani’s Mother doesn’t have that luxury. She is someone who turns to religion to help cope with her daughter’s battle and pushes Dani to do what is required of her to battle cancer again. The performances of both actresses were perfect. Each time these actresses walked out on stage; you could feel the weight on their shoulders. This character is a single mother who is dealing with her daughter going through another medical battle, and she is doing all she can to keep herself from breaking down. You can see that every time she is present in this show her emotions. Both Surratt and Skinner knew exactly how to bring this character to the stage, and they knew how to portray that and make the audience feel for them. Both actresses sang The Sun Still Rose and in their heart with empathy that created a loving feel. This song helps show the connection between the mother and Dani and the care for one another. It also represents the mother’s coping.

As said before, this show dealt with a lot of heavy topics, and it was so beautifully put on through the cast and crew. It was an honor Ito help put this show together. It was very well performed, directed and constructed. All four shows had an amazing turnout.

With this reaction that this show had, we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store. The next show that will be put on is The Good Doctor which is directed by Jo Hall.

All Photos Courtesy of Jordan Ingersoll