By: Amelia Naughten, News Editor
This fall, the Mills drama department premiered two one-act plays: Steel Magnolias and the One Act Play that Goes Wrong. This was the first of its sort to be showcased, as in previous years Mills had always put on a single two-act production. Nevertheless, the plays two different styles did not clash and rather offered the audience a rollercoaster of emotions, ranging from grief to laughter.
The decision to put on two plays this year was not an easy one. Joseph Hudelson, Mills English teacher and drama director, explained the unexpected decision, saying, “We have a lot of strong actors that fit well into Steel Magnolias, but it’s got only, you know, it’s only six parts, and they’re all female.”
Set in Louisiana, Steel Magnolias centers around six women and their gossip about everyday life–all of which takes place in Truvy’s hair parlor. The plot follows the women throughout the four seasons, in which they work through various struggles together, such as Shelby’s (the daughter of another lead, M’Lynn Eatenton, and a newly-wed) diabetes, her pregnancy, and ultimate death. The play is a testament to the persisting power of friendship and womanhood when faced with challenges.
With this in mind, Hudelson wanted to extend equal opportunities for male actors while expanding the audience’s experience. “I thought, what if we did and it’s kind of sad, so let’s think if we can do one play that’s super silly, and then that play would be like a kind of a tragedy, comedy kind of a night, and people would leave just, just laughing.”
Hudelson’s predictions were not far off. Steel Magnolias provided a more emotionally substantial performance where the audience really got to know each character personally. Especially with the unexpected dark twist at the end of the play, in which Shelby passes after much struggle with receiving medical attention for her diabetes, the One Act Play that Goes Wrong ended the night on a lighter note.
The plot of the second act follows a theater group who puts on a murder mystery, although they are sorely unprepared: members forget lines, props are misplaced, and in the end, most of the set collapses into chaos. The second act of the night was filled with much comedic relief and special effects, giving audiences a night to remember.
Newt Wolter (11), who played Inspector Carter (the lead in the One Act Play that Goes Wrong), described the magic of the play as lying in its spontaneity. Wolter remembered, “My favorite moment was our last performance because a lot of unscripted things happened, it was really silly. And that’s what’s really special about this play particularly–that can happen and it works, and no show will ever be the same …Because we can all work together so well, we pulled it off really well.” Wolter explained that every show contained a healthy amount of improv, even making the actors break character for a bit because of how unexpected some of the humor was.
At the same time, featuring two acts of different shows also meant that actors who would audition for both plays would face a new challenge. Naia Germain (11), who played Shelby (one of the lead roles in Steel Magnolias) as well as the Director (from the One Act Play that Goes Wrong), explained that although the workload didn’t feel drastically different from past Mills plays, it was definitely a new experience.
Germain commented, “It was definitely a lot different because it’s kind of like you have to make such a big mental switch between the two plays…The accent is different, the vibe is different, everything is completely different. So it’s just weird because you have to do a complete mental 180.”
Germain prepared for her roles by watching filmed productions, specifically studying how Julia Roberts, who played Shelby in Steel Magnolias, portrayed her character. As her fifth show with Mills, Germain reflected on how this time around, her roles extended beyond simply her characters in the play: “As an underclassmen, you’re still kind of learning the ropes and listening to the upperclassmen, but as an upperclassmen, you kind of have to be one of the people directing people and letting them know about the stuff that goes on.” Aside from leading the cast, Germain also helped to direct set builds, in which scenery had to be specifically engineered to be adaptable to both shows.
Germain also noted that several of the underclassmen part of the play this year were exceptional actors, and felt that they stepped up to their new roles well.
Deanna Lee (9), took on Annelle Desoto in Steel Magnolias and Sandra/Florence Collymore in the One Act Play that Goes Wrong. She was inspired to join drama after first performing on stage in middle school, where she fell in love with the art. Like Germain, Lee had to focus on getting into her two different characters. Lee recounts, “It helps to understand what is happening in the scene and know how your character would respond. I link each line with each scene, and understanding every scene helps me improv if I accidentally forget my line.” Through the course of the rehearsals, Lee also found herself at home in the Mills drama community.
With a strong positive response from crowds over the showing weekends, the fall plays came to a resounding close. Hudelson alluded to next year’s plays in his interviews in which he confirmed that audiences can look forward to more modern than Steel Magnolias in future shows: “I think comedy is more difficult in a lot of ways, [but] I think we have a lot of good improv kids. So yeah, well, we’ll try to do something contemporary and really funny–but it’ll be one show.”
