In the process of producing this year’s fall play, the actors in “Sense and Sensibility” must balance timeless themes of love, loss, money and societal pressures with the demands of rehearsal, design and character development. The dedication of the cast and crew is certain to bring Jane Austen’s classic to life with a modern twist. For the past two months, actors have been working tirelessly to prepare for opening night on Nov. 13.
Grant High School’s theater director and teacher, Trisha Todd, has been directing the school’s fall play for 28 years. Todd was inspired by Kate Hamill’s rendition of “Sense and Sensibility” after seeing it performed at Portland Center Stage a few years back. “It kind of broke all of the trappings of what we think of as classic, 18th-century theater … I just thought it was so cool, that at some point I thought that I wanted to direct it,” says Todd.
The novel and play “Sense and Sensibility” follows the Dashwood sisters as they find their places in the society of the late 1700s and early 1800s. The two eldest sisters — Marianne, played by senior Sonja Seidman, and Elinor, played by senior Logan Hendrickson — have contrasting personalities; one represents “sense” and the other “sensibility.” With many adaptations and variations influencing modern media and culture, the story has been deemed a classic. Todd has ensured that she adds her own flair to the play to showcase the longevity of its themes while also creating a fresh and enthralling show for the Grant community.
By incorporating a chorus of “gossips” — supporting, ensemble-like characters conveying information and emotions relating to the main characters — musical elements and regency-era dances, Todd hopes to preserve Austen’s antique ideas in a way that translates to a modern audience. Todd’s vision certainly caught the attention of many students in the theater department — over 50 auditioned for a role in the play.
Students who are interested in auditioning for the fall production must be passionate and determined — taking on a role is a significant commitment. Actors had the optional but recommended opportunity to prep a monologue from the script for their first “prepared audition.” If the participant was interested in a singing role, they had the option to sing 30 seconds of a contemporary song that fit their style and desired role.
“I was looking forward to it, just because it’s obviously an audition process, but it’s also so fun … It is very competitive, not only because we have so many people, but because we have so many talented people, especially in the theater department,” says Ellie Farrell, a junior whose primary role is Mrs. Jennings. This being her third year in Grant’s fall productions, Farrell has become familiar with the auditioning process.
Ingrid O’Boyle Rosenau, a junior playing Margaret Dashwood, the younger sister of Marianne and Elinor, has a similar perspective. “It was definitely a very supportive environment … It was definitely competitive, because a lot of people audition every year, and this is definitely a smaller cast, but it was really nice. It felt like a good space, like a safe space to just try out and just to show Trisha what we’ve got,” she says. This is O’Boyle Rosenau’s first year trying out for Grant’s fall play, but she has had prior experiences auditioning for other productions.
After open auditions, callbacks begin — directors narrow down the group of auditioning actors and invite the people they are interested in casting for a second auditioning opportunity. For this play, callbacks consisted of movement and additional script reading.
Todd describes this portion of auditions as the hard part. “As a director, it’s just really brutal because you have dual relationships with your students — one is as your teacher, through in many ways four years of theater, and guiding them along, and then you have to go through this process of picking and choosing … I don’t enjoy it, but it is essential, because you have to cast a show,” she says.
For the students, these few days can be stressful, but also fun and engaging. “Trisha puts us in some cold reads, where she assigns what role you’re reading for and who you’re reading with. And that’s always fun,
just because a little bit of the pressure is off … It’s fun to see other people’s interpretation of the scene and a character,” says Farrell. Luckily for the actors, Todd ensures that each student has the ability to perform at a
high level. In her acting classes, Todd familiarizes students with various scripts, readings and performances so that when it comes to the fall play, actors can feel confident in their audition, especially their cold reads.
Todd expresses the importance of taking a theater class before joining a play: “An audition isn’t usually where an actor shines, especially a young actor, because they’re just learning this … Usually they’re very anxious, oftentimes they kind of are paralyzed, it’s just not their best. So if you are in a class, I know that. I know what you can do with time and rehearsal, and that helps tremendously.” Todd does not want to discourage anyone from auditioning if they are not involved in the theater program. However, it is essential for actors to be involved in her training and build a relationship with her so she can see their abilities before auditioning.
Once auditions ended and the cast list had been released, students began rehearsing each day after school, as well as on some additional Saturdays. About two weeks out from opening night, rehearsals often went from directly after school to nine p.m.
“I always just love a rehearsal where we are all really, collectively as a cast, really tired and we all have to keep going because there’s just a shared feeling of commitment, but also
understanding,” says O’Boyle Rosenau.
For many students, rehearsals can be the most engaging part of being in a production. “In rehearsals and with auditions … this group of people will never all be in this one place again, which I think is something really special that you get with the show. So that might be my favorite part … every show is a unique experience,” O’Boyle Rosenau says.
Sharing time, passion and commitment through the production can give actors a community full of support and ability. “It’s so beautiful to see something come together with people that I love and people that I know are talented, and (because) I know that I’m talented, it’s just like the final piece of the puzzle,” says Farrell. “It’s almost bittersweet because … this is basically … the last time that we’ll all be together for that period of our lives that spanned like two months, and then it’s time.”
The time leading up to opening night is paramount to the cast because they get to do what they love with who they love. With a cast of only 16, Todd’s goal is for the actors to grow close to one another, enhancing their on-stage chemistry. The work of these actors will be showcased in Grant’s auditorium, from Nov. 13-15 and 20-22. Farrell says, “This performance, to me, is everything. For me, acting is everything.”
