Student Rebecca VerNooy wrote and will co-direct her lab show featuring seven different women whose characters deal with different life events.
When Rebecca VerNooy realized some of her students wanted an extra creative project to act in this semester, she wrote them an opportunity.
The result is Here, Somewhere, which will be performed Wednesday through Saturday in the CREATE_space in Putnam Hall. The play features seven actresses delivering different monologues about the various problems college-aged women usually deal with, including rape, expression of sexuality, having a Type A personality and addiction.
“Some of it’s about confronting yourself,” VerNooy, an assistant professor of theater, said. “All of these gals are really looking for validation and answers outside of themselves, but ultimately the answer is inside of yourself.”
The play, VerNooy said, addresses themes that often come up in her original work.
“It comes out of my own youth for sure, … (such as) ‘going to the hardware store for milk,’ which is just looking for the answers in all the wrong places. So I’m very interested in work that cultivates an authentic sense of self that empowers women and that reveals what young women really go through. That’s not often on the table.”
VerNooy’s Elbows Off the Table is the first studio production of the 2015-16 academic year and looks at younger women finding their place in the world and discovering their sexuality.
As for the accessibility of the monologues, Michelle Lane, a sophomore studying performance and production design and technology, said she thinks many will be able to “latch onto” Here, Somewhere.
“I can point to all of the characters in the show and see that in one of my friends, my sister or whoever,” Lane, who plays Meadow, said. “These are very real and relatable stories.”
For instance, Meadow’s story follows her decision to give up school because she doesn’t want to fall into the traps of the corporate world, which comes with many “have to” notions, such as having to go to school and having to get a job.
As enticing as the relatability of the stories are, Emily Evans, who plays Tabitha, said Here, Somewhere gives strength to the otherwise often unheard voices.
“It’s exciting to express those kinds of views,” Evans, a junior studying theater performance, said. “For a show that’s all women, it’s an interesting dynamic in that even though the world has made strides in women’s rights and women standing up for themselves, we’re still a more muted community than a lot of people on campus. These kinds of female voices are important to express.”
VerNooy co-directed the play with fellow professor David Haugen, and said she had a lot of fun collaborating and sharing “quirks” with her colleague to create this opportunity for their students.
“As far as material for our students, it’s a really great acting exercise,” VerNooy said. “The material is meaty. They can sink their teeth into this stuff.”
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