On The Edge News

By Anna Carullo

Staff Writer

Sept. 17, 2021

Sixteen months later than its intended debut, Edgewood’s theatre students are preparing for an upcoming outdoor performance of The Triumph of Love, which will open on Sept. 22. The show, originally slated to open in April 2020, will be performed in the outdoor atrium at the Stream from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.  

Being both the college’s first outdoor production and the first in-person performance since the start of the pandemic, The Triumph of Love presents a series of new, COVID-19 related challenges for students and faculty. Producer Jeanne Leep referred to the process of navigating this new format as “kooky,” explaining, “we’ve never done anything like this before.”

Leep said she’s committed to making the show safe and accessible for everyone. In addition to performing outdoors, there will also be a streaming option available for those not yet comfortable attending the show in-person.

“The show runs one week long outside and the second week there will be a streamed production,” Leep said.

The cast and crew have been rehearsing outdoors for about a month, and are preparing to face any difficulties that come with this new format during performances. 

Director Susan Nanning-Sorenson, explained some of the challenges that she has noticed during rehearsals. “Initially, it was terribly hot, and we had to deal with bugs and the cicada bugs were loud.”

Another issue that performing outdoors presents is the lack of good lighting. “It gets dark back in the trees at nights, so it’s hard for actors to see their script,” said Nanning-Sorenson.

Student Shawn Padley, who plays Dimas in The Triumph of Love, explained more problems that they have encountered as an actor on an outdoor stage.

“The most difficult part of being outside is that we never quite know how the stage is going to feel day to day. If the grass has recently been watered or it rained, it can be kind of muddy, which can make it easy to slip,” said Padley.

However, students and faculty are excited to finally perform in-person again.

Padley emphasized their excitement. “It’s been a joy and breath of fresh air — literally — to get to be around my peers doing the thing that we are in college to study again. There hasn’t been a single night that I haven’t been excited to go to rehearsal,” they said.

Nanning-Sorenson expressed similar feelings and said, “It is so good to be in-person and outside without masks on, doing theatre.”

There is also a backup plan to move the show indoors if weather challenges arise. If this were to happen, Nanning-Sorenson said, “The plan is that we will perform the show exactly as we rehearsed it, but indoors, and everyone will be masked.”

Tickets for The Triumph of Love can be purchased early by visiting the box office in The Stream on Sept. 10, 17 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at the theatre department’s website. Tickets will also be available at the box office prior to each performance.