Curtain comes up this weekend on another Bryant Players performance
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” highlights Parents and Family Weekend slate of events, which includes President Machtley’s State of the University Address, 16th Annual Duck Race, and Football vs. Central Conn.
Year after year, the survey results are the same: Having to speak or perform in front of a group is the number one fear for Americans. For Jaimie Wolman ’13 (Waterford, CT), however, mastering the skill is crucial to success in her chosen career.
“I hope to one day become a criminal prosecutor,” she says. “Being a part of Bryant’s theater and acting organization allows me to gain the confidence I’ll need to stand in front of a courtroom and argue my case.”
Wolman first took to the stage during her senior year of high school and adds to her acting résumé by playing Veruca Salt in the Bryant Players’ production of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as part of Parents and Family Weekend. The curtain comes up on Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. All shows will take place in Janikies Theatre.
Tickets, which are available Friday in the Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at the door, are $4 for student; $7 for faculty, staff, and senior citizens, and $10 for the general public. Attendees will receive a $1 discount if they bring a non-perishable food item, which will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
The 40 students making up the cast and crew of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began preparing at the beginning of the semester. Leading the troupe are director Tara Calnan ’12 (Bellingham, MA) and assistant director Albert Gonzalez ’11 (Raymondville, TX).
One of the cast members, Marianne Marchant ’13 (Philipsburg, St. Martin), will be making her first appearance with the Bryant Players in the role of Mrs. Gloop. She says learning to bring the personality of her character to life is a skill that will serve her well in the future.
“In theater, we play diverse, complex characters, and we have to learn how to quickly adapt to any situation,” she says. “This helps because we will often be put in situations outside of out comfort zone, and how we respond says a lot about us.”
Encore! Encore!
Like Marchant, Kyle Kober ’11 (Burrillville, RI) hadn’t stepped foot on a stage before coming to Bryant. At the urging of one of his friends, he auditioned for two short plays last February. He was also part of the production of the musical “Grease,” and he will play Mike Teavee in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
He uses his relative inexperience in theatre as an advantage. “I usually know very little about the shows outside of the general plotline whenever I audition,” he explains.
This way he creates his own personality for the character he is playing. “Since I didn’t already have a preset vision, I could make my character into the Mike Teavee that I thought he would be,” says Kober. “Each day at rehearsal was a new challenge for me trying to figure out the idiosyncrasies of my character.”
Complementing the enthusiasm of the Bryant’s newest thespians is a group of experienced actors and actress who have made their home on stage. One of these veterans is Jennie Kitaychik ’12 (Fresh Meadows, NY), who will appear in her fifth play, this time as Violet Beauregarde.
“I love the feeling I get when I’m on stage,” she says. “I love hearing the audience’s reaction to the humor or intensity of the play. I just love performing and putting on a good show.”
“I hope to one day become a criminal prosecutor,” she says. “Being a part of Bryant’s theater and acting organization allows me to gain the confidence I’ll need to stand in front of a courtroom and argue my case.”
Wolman first took to the stage during her senior year of high school and adds to her acting résumé by playing Veruca Salt in the Bryant Players’ production of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as part of Parents and Family Weekend. The curtain comes up on Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. All shows will take place in Janikies Theatre.
Tickets, which are available Friday in the Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at the door, are $4 for student; $7 for faculty, staff, and senior citizens, and $10 for the general public. Attendees will receive a $1 discount if they bring a non-perishable food item, which will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
The 40 students making up the cast and crew of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began preparing at the beginning of the semester. Leading the troupe are director Tara Calnan ’12 (Bellingham, MA) and assistant director Albert Gonzalez ’11 (Raymondville, TX).
One of the cast members, Marianne Marchant ’13 (Philipsburg, St. Martin), will be making her first appearance with the Bryant Players in the role of Mrs. Gloop. She says learning to bring the personality of her character to life is a skill that will serve her well in the future.
“In theater, we play diverse, complex characters, and we have to learn how to quickly adapt to any situation,” she says. “This helps because we will often be put in situations outside of out comfort zone, and how we respond says a lot about us.”
Encore! Encore!
Like Marchant, Kyle Kober ’11 (Burrillville, RI) hadn’t stepped foot on a stage before coming to Bryant. At the urging of one of his friends, he auditioned for two short plays last February. He was also part of the production of the musical “Grease,” and he will play Mike Teavee in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
He uses his relative inexperience in theatre as an advantage. “I usually know very little about the shows outside of the general plotline whenever I audition,” he explains.
This way he creates his own personality for the character he is playing. “Since I didn’t already have a preset vision, I could make my character into the Mike Teavee that I thought he would be,” says Kober. “Each day at rehearsal was a new challenge for me trying to figure out the idiosyncrasies of my character.”
Complementing the enthusiasm of the Bryant’s newest thespians is a group of experienced actors and actress who have made their home on stage. One of these veterans is Jennie Kitaychik ’12 (Fresh Meadows, NY), who will appear in her fifth play, this time as Violet Beauregarde.
“I love the feeling I get when I’m on stage,” she says. “I love hearing the audience’s reaction to the humor or intensity of the play. I just love performing and putting on a good show.”
