Songs We’re Addicted To

Our workshop production of The Gambler goes into previews tomorrow. To celebrate our fifth show of the season, we’ve assembled this playlist of Songs We’re Addicted To. Featuring our favorite gambling songs, like Sinatra’s Luck Be A Lady, and the songs we just can’t stop listening to, like Ed Sheeran’s The Shape of You, this playlist is a safe bet for some nostalgia and dancing!



Enjoy these tunes and then visit Villanova Theatre for this special workshop production.



THE GAMBLER runs at Villanova Theatre from April 26-30 at Vasey Hall. Tickets are FREE, but pre-reservation is suggested. For more information or to book your free ticket visit www.villanovetheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

The heart of THE GAMBLER with Dramaturg Kasey Phillips

Second year graduate student Kasey Phillips, who you may recognize from this seasons LAGAN and ELECTRA, is stepping behind the scenes as Dramaturg for our workshop production of THE GAMBLER. She took some time out of her busy schedule to give us an inside glimpse into the "quick and dirty" world of Owen McCafferty's play:

Dramaturg Kasey Phillips

As a dramaturg and writer, it would be an understatement to say that I am lucky to be working alongside internationally recognized playwright and Villanova’s Heimbold Chair, Owen McCafferty. It is the first year that the Villanova Theatre Department has added a workshop production to its main stage season, and to have the opportunity to help lead The Gambler to the stage for the first time is an experience I’ll never forget.

When dramaturging a show, it’s not often you have primary source material so readily available in the process of sifting through a play. With Owen in the room, the actors, assistant director Sarah Kelly, director David Bradley and I never have to wait for the answers to our burning questions about the play. It’s a really incredible energy swarming the theater. David can turn to me to uncover the logistics of status of the 19th century Russian aristocracy (one of the many layers of Dostoevsky’s novella The Gambler, from which McCafferty’s play is based), or he can turn directly to Owen and ask where the heat of each scene is hidden. It’s such a wonderful chemistry to have the romance of the history and the immediacy of the story at hand at our every beck and call.

David Bradley and I throw around the phrase, “quick and dirty” dramaturgy, which I think is such a fun, practical and brilliant summation of what this process from my end has been like, and what I imagine will continue to be.

Unlike the other four main stage productions this season, The Gambler has a shortened rehearsal time, which quickens the momentum of production—both externally and internally. Where it could be very tempting to get lost in the rabbit holes of research areas in this play—for example, the psychosis surrounding gambling, addiction and into the extended history of Russian, German, and French aristocracy—David challenges me to look for the tangible data. In theatre terms, I look for the “playable” research—bits of information that could fall into these categories, but instead of the actors spending precious time reading in depth research – I try to give them research they can put immediately into their bodies and onto the stage.

The stakes are high, both for the characters in the play, and for us as a team building the world around them. In a way the quick process makes sense. After all, we are in Roulettenburg, an imagined casino town where people play for keeps, bet it all to win, and lose it all for a chance. A “quick and dirty” process is logical. The rehearsals themselves give resonance to the spinning wheel McCafferty has created, and the true nature of these characters as each begs the question—what would you gamble for a chance at love? 

Owen McCafferty's copy of
THE GAMBLER

Before our first read through, Owen handed me the copy of Dostoevsky’s novella he used to write his adaptation. I carry it to each and every rehearsal, and even if I don’t pull it out, it’s a helpful behind the scenes companion to the piece. In the margins, Owen has scribbled notes of his own as to what he thinks are the most important moments of the novel to bring to life onstage. In our many conversations, Owen reiterates that no matter how this story is placed in history, at the end of the day, at its heart, The Gambler is a modern story of how human beings interact with one another. In his copy of the novella, Owen underlines a piece of speech spoken by one of the lead characters, Alexei Ivanovich: “…as for gains and winnings—people everywhere, not only at the roulette table, do nothing but gain or win something from each other.”

It is here we find the heart and soul of not only 19th century Russian national character, but of this new play, and most importantly, ourselves. It is my hope that Owen’s blend of brilliant story telling and our team’s artistic vision keeps the audiences' minds spinning—wanting to take a chance and invest in these characters just like I have done.

THE GAMBLER runs at Villanova Theatre from April 26-30 at Vasey Hall. Tickets are FREE, but pre-reservation is suggested. For more information or to book your free ticket visit www.villanovetheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

Taking On An Iconic Character with Laura Barron

Second year graduate assistant Laura Barron, who you may recognize from our Fall production of MARISOL, is now tackling the lead role of Jo March in our current production of LITTLE WOMEN. Laura took some time out of her insanely busy schedule to discuss her process of building the character of Jo March. Get to know more about Jo and Laura here:  

Laura Barron as Jo March. Photo by Paola Nogueras.

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a story for the ages, it has inspired and been loved by readers for generation after generation. That love stems from an overwhelming connection to the characters in the story and the ability to relate to them on many levels. Alcott's main character, Jo March, is no exception. She is revered by many as a favorite character in literature. She was not like many women of her time, outgoing, outspoken, driven by her passions, and yet similar in that she is deeply invested in her family. As an actress, it was intimidating to know how important and loved Jo is as a character, to women and men alike. How would I be able to embody the Jo they picture in their head, or bring her spirit to life? Instead of letting that overwhelm me, throughout the process I tried to have fun with the role, and bring my own spirit and passions into the mix. I stayed grounded knowing that it's not the exact Jo that Alcott put on the page, but a re-imagining of her by the writers of the musical. The material I needed to learn in a short amount of time was so vast, that I almost didn't have time to stop and worry about if I was being the "Jo March" readers would expect. With that being said, I loved the rehearsals in which we were able to do character work and dig a little deeper into finding a balance in the role that would be a good fit for me.

The four March sisters and their Marmee.
Photo by Paola Nogueras.

Another challenge I faced was understanding the bonds of sisterhood, from the strength of the love that is shared between them, to the utter chaos that might ensue when they don't get along. I grew up with two older brothers, so while sibling rivalry and love still exist between us, I have come to learn through the process that it's not quite the same as having sisters. My cast mates and director Valerie Joyce helped me gain a better understanding of what having sisters might be like, through their personal experiences. It was fun to have new "sisters" in my life for this process. 

At Villanova, I have the unique opportunity to work in the costume shop while getting my Masters. I have an Assistantship in costumes and have helped cut and sew different garments for the show since last Fall. We began making petticoats and hoop skirts back in November and we haven't stopped. Stepping out onto the stage in something I helped make is an absolute joy. I have the opportunity to sing one of the most challenging songs I've had to tackle in a show, "Astonishing", while wearing a top I sewed. I am extremely proud of the work the whole costume crew has done under the direction and guidance of our extremely talented cutter draper, Jenn Lanyon, and show designer and shop coordinator, Janus Stefanowicz. I have learned so much from both of them and can't wait for audiences to see not only the costumes, but all of the design elements brought to life by the hardworking, talented, prop and set shops at Villanova. 

Laura Barron as Jo March. Photo by Paola Nogueras.

Stepping into the shoes of Jo March became a little easier when leaning on others throughout the process. The support of the entire cast and crew has helped me immensely, from the dressers who

help me change over 8 times, sometimes in under 40 seconds, to the stage management team who helped with lines and are always ready with props and kind words, to a cast full of such talented and amazing scene partners, the dramaturg who helped us step into the time period of Alcott's book, to the music directors that are always helping us to sound our best, and a director who has an overarching vision that put all the pieces together. I am inspired by and proud of the work everyone has put in to bring this show to life.

LITTLE WOMEN runs at Villanova Theatre from March 28-April 9 at Vasey Hall. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, faculty/staff, and senior citizens. For tickets or information please visit www.villanovetheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

Bringing the characters of LITTLE WOMEN to new life

Second year graduate student Sean Connolly, who you may recognize from last season’s TRANSLATIONS, is completing his Dramaturgy thesis on our current production of LITTLE WOMEN. He took some time to chat with us about Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel and inspiring play. Learn more about LITTLE WOMEN here:

Dramaturging Little Women: The Musical has been an fascinating challenge. Having been constricted to straight plays since childhood, delving into a musical has not only opened my eyes to music, but helped me find those nuggets of drama magic and nuance in dialogue that only musicals can provide. For me, it has been a truly exciting production to be a part of. Firstly, Little Women takes place in such a rich time period to research, it is honestly a dramaturg’s dream, especially since it is a part of history not often discussed. When we talk about the Civil War, we often think of great battles, or burning Southern towns. If we are especially attuned we might even consider the dramatizations presented in Gangs of New York or Gone With The Wind. But real in depth exploration of the home front, particularly the Northern Home Front, has been left to very few aging historians. That is for the exception of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. What’s really exciting about Little Women: The Musical, and particularly working with Valerie as director of the musical, is that we are really trying to bring this classic story into the 21st Century.

Louisa May Alcott

The roots of this modern interpretation are already explored by Alcott herself, but have often been lost in the nostalgia of the piece. At the time Alcott’s tale was radical and revolutionary. This was partially because she was a Transcendentalist, a passionate Abolitionist, feminist and reformer. Which brings up one of the most contentiously talked about moments in Little Women. Thousands of readers of the novel have asked the question: Why doesn’t Jo marry Laurie? This resulted in some very forceful conversations with publishers and fans of the novel in 1868. However, the answer is actually quite simple. Alcott didn’t want Jo to marry at all.

Alcott wanted to create a female character, Jo, who didn’t need a man. This was very radical back then. Hundreds wrote to Alcott to complain when Jo refused Laurie’s proposal. Eventually publishers got involved and threatened to not publish  Little Women Part 2 if Jo remained unmarried. Clearly they were hoping to force Alcott into marrying Jo to Laurie. Alcott was so furious, she developed a new plan. She would marry Jo off, but not to Laurie, the man everyone wanted, but to Professor Bhaer. All of this had an unintended consequence. There are moments of possible passion in the music and on the page, but they have been hidden beneath a Victorian view of Alcott’s world and a holy reverence of the novel. On the surface all the characters are in their head, they all have an intellectual affection for one another but not a physical one. All this comes back to that original question that thousands of readers have been asking since 1868, why doesn’t Jo marry Laurie?

For our production we wanted to connect these characters to the 21st century in which open sexuality and human desire are more present on the surface of our interactions with someone we might be interested in. This has led to incredible discoveries during the rehearsal process. For instance, to find Laurie’s motivation, we had to make him a little boastful - he can’t just be the kid next door; he needs to have swagger.  Laurie must be a complex character, driven not only by an intellectual admiration of Jo but also a sexual drive. Jo is similarly complex. She is driven intellectually, but we also we need to know she is free-thinking and passionate as well. Jo's desire becomes a powerful impetus behind her decision to not marry Laurie. Instead she finds an equal partner in both intellect and passion when she falls for Professor Bhaer. These explorations of character have made working on this production so much more fascinating beyond the rich historical time period. For me, it proves that these characters are just as real and exciting now as they were in 1868.

LITTLE WOMEN runs at Villanova Theatre from March 28-April 9 at Vasey Hall. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, faculty/staff, and senior citizens. For tickets or information please visit www.villanovetheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

Not-So Little Women Playlist

We're getting into the musical spirit, just in time for our upcoming production of LITTLE WOMEN: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. In the spirit of the production we've assembled this Not-So Little Women Playlist, featuring some of our favorite female artists. From Janis Joplin to Beyonce; Ella Fitzgerald to the Spice Girls; this playlist has something for everyone, and will certainly inspire you to get up on your feet and dance.



Get into the musical spirit and then join us at the theatre for LITTLE WOMEN!



LITTLE WOMEN previews on March 28th, opens on March 29th and performs through April 9th. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, senior citizens, and groups. For tickets and more information visit www.villanovatheatre.org. 

The Impossible Here and Now: An Actors’ World of LAGAN

Second year acting scholar Chris Monaco shared his thoughts with us about our current production of Stacey Gregg’s LAGAN. In addition to playing Ian, the young writer, LAGAN is Chris’ thesis play! Learn more about Chris’ process and the kaleidoscopic world of LAGAN here:

I had no idea what to expect when they announced the third show last year. “Lagan? How do you pronounce that? La GAHN? LAY-gin? Is the ‘g’ silent?” Little did I know I would eventually fall in love with the city of Belfast as written in Stacey Gregg’s play, or that I would end up doing my acting thesis on the play. The process thus far has been a huge learning curve - I’ve discovered crucial things about myself as an actor and also as a person. I’ve been keeping a journal as part of the thesis, and as Allyce (who plays my sister Aoife) pointed out, my real-life journaling blurred the line between Chris and Ian, who is also a writer and spends much of his time negotiating his external life with his inner world - trapped in his own thoughts as life goes on around him. I’ve never journaled before so it’s been really useful. Journaling has been a great way to check in with my process, how each rehearsal feels, and allows me to track my process night by night as I chip my way into the show.

Working with our director, KC has also been incredible. She’s an inspiring woman, in that she knows exactly how to coax the perfect performance out of her actors without ever exhibiting anger or panic or any of the other ugly emotions that can scare an actor in the wrong direction. She’s funny, cool, laid back, and has been absolutely fearless at the helm of this massively challenging show, one which has never been seen on American soil! 
Lagan is Irish to the core. 50% of my genetic code is Irish, but I grew up 100% Italian. All I know about Northern Ireland is that Game of Thrones films there and that Irish names are the coolest names on earth (I did a film once with an Irish guy whose son was named Diarmuid. Isn’t that such a cool name?! It took me a full day to figure out how to say it, though.) Needless to say, any time I work on an Irish play – Lagan is my third foray into that beautiful country - an obstacle that stands in my way is the accent. There are so many variants on the Irish brogue, and each experience has required a complete re-evaluation of the way I pronounce vowels and consonants.

I worked on Translations at Villanova last year in which we decided to ‘create’ an Irish language because it took place in a fictional Irish town, thus giving us the liberty to create an accent which would fall easily on American ears. Lagan takes place in contemporary Belfast, thus requiring an authentic accent. Lucky for us, Villanova was able to provide us the most valuable asset possible: Andrea Ainsworth, the vocal coach from the Abbey Theatre. Andrea nearly broke me, in the best possible way. In order to learn the Northern Irish accent, I had to forget everything I thought I knew about the English language. Any of my fellow actors could tell you how much I struggled with certain words - I still get red in the face trying to pronounce the word “school.”The accent was a challenge on its own, but Andrea also taught me to rethink the way I use my voice onstage - as an actor I tend to be quiet, not using much of the resonant space in my mouth. Andrea did tons of exercises with the cast to expand, accentuate, and punch different areas of the body to access different parts of our voices. The process was really incredible, even though I left more than a few rehearsals positive I would never get things right.

Near the end of Lagan, Ian asks: “Am I a cliché?” It’s an important question for the character, but also for myself as the actor playing him. There are many aspects to Ian which could inevitably lead an actor to playing him as a stereotype: he’s a writer who frequently falls in love with his own clever witticisms; he’s a tweed-wearing Anglophile; he’s quick to judge others: he compares old women to men in drag and girls who wear makeup must dabble in self-harm; and he’s gay but unable to come out to his mother. An actor playing a role like Ian could easily fall prey to judging him as harshly as some of the characters in the play do and choose to play only his cliché traits. Oddly enough, early in the process I struggled with the opposite problem: I chose to ignore Ian’s less-desirable qualities.

Typically when approaching a role, I immediately grab ahold of the similarities between myself and a character and consider how the character views the world. In the first weeks of rehearsal, I had absolutely no doubt that Ian was supremely likable and was 100% justified in saying everything that he does. When KC asked me to consider the way characters like the Taximan and Aoife talk about Ian, I realized this guy’s human. He’s not a cliché, but he’s also not some blameless superhero. He’s just a 24 year old guys, a writer, dealing with life just the same as I am.  


I look forward to greeting audiences into the world of Lagan. We’ve reached a point where everything feels familiar because the cast has grown to know these characters, this world, and the amazing interconnecting stories about a Belfast still learning to knit itself together. It is exciting to share this with an audience and let them in on the beauty of it all.

Lagan is the kind of show that keeps on giving - it’s smart as hell and so rich with character tics, backstory, humor and wit. Audiences who come with an open mind and a willingness to be transported into what Ian calls “the impossible here and now” will be rewarded ten times over. There’s so much love imbued in this production - the painstaking care each cast and crew member has given to this show is really palpable. It’s the kind of show I’d want to see twice - once to take it all in, and again to close my eyes and just listen to the music of the script Gregg has given us to work with.

This has been one trip abroad I never want to come back from.

LAGAN runs at Villanova Theatre through the end of this weekend (closing on February 19^th). Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, faculty/staff, and senior citizens. For tickets or information please visit www.villanovatheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

Belfast Ballads Playlist

Tonight is the preview performance of the American premiere of Lagan. Set in Northern Ireland's capital city, Belfast, we decided to celebrate the music of the city. From well known artists like U2, Van Morrison, and The Corrs, to fun folk songs and melodies inspired by the Troubles; our Belfast Ballads playlist has something for everyone.



Get into the Irish spirit with the playlist below, and then join us in Belfast for Lagan! 



LAGAN previews this evening, opens tomorrow Wednesday, February 8th and performs through Sunday, February 19th. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, senior citizens, and groups. For tickets and more information visit www.villanovatheatre.org.

Bridging The Divides: An Inside Peek Into The Dramaturgy of LAGAN

Second year graduate student Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez, who you may recognize from last year’s MARISOL, is working off-stage this year as the production dramaturg for LAGAN. She took some time to chat with us about Stacey Gregg’s play. Learn more about the world of LAGAN here:

I don’t think I’ve read a play that is quite like Stacey Gregg’s Lagan. The play unfolds in a series of monologues with characters shifting from their internal minds to their external world. Taking place in Northern Ireland, dramaturging became fascinating opportunity to research history that had impacted the life of my family. I grew up hearing stories about how my grandfather lied about his age in order to join the army and fight for a united Ireland. At that time, I had no idea just how divided Northern Ireland was.

Lagan takes place in modern-day Belfast, thirteen years after the violent thirty-year civil war known as the Troubles that divided and defined Northern Ireland. While the play itself doesn’t make many references to the war that many of the characters endured, it was important for me to help the actors understand the character’s lives which span over three generations.

The older generation of characters (Anne, Joan, Terry, and the Taximan) have lived their lives primarily in a war-torn Belfast. Their communities were segregated between Catholics who continue to believe in a United Ireland, and Protestants who identify as British citizens. The younger generation of characters (Ian, Aoife, Emmet, Fiona, and Philip) have grown up in a transforming Belfast; a city moving from violence to peace. Only one character (Tracey) was born after the Troubles, and seems to represent the new Belfast; a city that is moving beyond the conflict and into a new stage of progress as an international city. Each character therefore has grown up in a different Belfast.

Because of the varying experiences with war, each character is impacted by the trauma they’ve experienced in different ways. Much like in America, the older generation often judges the younger generation based on how easy life has been for them; while the younger generation sees their parents as stuck in their ways. In Gregg’s exploration of generational history and the shifts in communal understanding, I realized the play transcends Belfast. 

As the play began to take shape, under the masterful direction of Kathryn MacMillan and the incredible guidance of Andrea Ainsworth from Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, I felt like I was watching history unfold on an intimate level.

Being a woman who has grown up in a changing world: I was in the first class to receive computer lessons in school, I remember my family’s first huge computer, and watched cell phones and social media become a part of our daily lives; I’ve always been infatuated with questioning history through generational understanding. My grandmother’s world, for instance, is completely different than mine. My life, however, was impacted through my grandmother’s way of life that she passed down to my mother.

The lives we live, the history we are a part of, shift so fast that it is often hard to see the interconnections of life. I found this to be true for many of the characters in Lagan who struggle to live their normal every-day lives in a world that feels in flux.

The city of Belfast itself is a landscape of memory, filled with walls that continue to divide neighborhoods and murals that colorfully display the city’s violent past. It makes sense that each character in Lagan carries this past within them, and the play itself took on a greater meaning for me about the repercussions of division in modern times.

Now more than ever we turn on our television and see evidence of violence, acts of terror, fueled by past hate; divides that took form in the past continue to separate our own society. Gregg’s motivation to write this play came from an exploration of a post-conflict Belfast, a world in which people are slowly coming back together. I believe the history of Belfast can act as a warning to humans about the capacity of our own violence, a reminder that war lives long after the fighting has stopped, and provides a message that progress towards unity can be made, no matter how slowly.

LAGAN runs at Villanova Theatre from February 7-19 in Vasey Hall. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students, alumni, faculty/staff, and senior citizens. For tickets or information please visit www.villanovetheatre.org or call the Box Office at 610-519-7474.

An Inside Peek Into Our Second Studio Show With Director Lexa Grace

Villanova Theatre is gearing up to present our second annual graduate student produced Studio Show! WE MUST SHARE EVERYTHING explores the complex, and often confusing, landscape of private and public spaces. Second year graduate assistant and director of the show, Lexa Grace, has shared with us some of her inspiration behind the production. Check our her blog post below! 

Lexa Grace in Ireland during her internship at the Abbey Theatre

This past summer I had the privilege of traveling to Ireland to study and work with The Abbey Theatre along with several of my fellow classmates. One day I was walking the streets of Dublin with one of my Villanova friends. We were discussing the differences between Irish and American cultures. There is a stereotype that Irish people are friendlier and more open than Americans. In many ways my friend and I found this to be true. It seemed that every time we went to a bar, we ended up in a passionate discussion about politics with an Irish stranger. While both of us enjoyed these interactions, we knew that they would never happen in America. 

As Americans we are taught that certain subjects are not meant to be shared in public, especially not with strangers. Yet these social rules are broken all the time, depending on the setting and the people involved. This has become even more prevalent with the advancement of social media. As my friend and I continued to talk that day, I realized that we both had vastly different beliefs on privacy, even within our own American culture.

I grew up with very little regard for privacy. This had partly to do with being involved in theatre from a young age and partly to do with the fact that I lived with two younger siblings, and was always forced to share everything- from my room to my clothes, to the last bite of ice cream in the freezer. My friend on the other hand, was an only child and learned to love and respect privacy from a young age. This dynamic of public and private spaces is what first sparked my interest in exploring privacy as a theme. At the time, however, I had no real concept for how this idea could be expressed in the theatre-- a place where privacy is under constant negotiation between actors, audience, and characters.

Then school started again and submissions for Villanova Theatre’s second annual Studio Show were announced. I knew that I wanted to submit a devised piece. My love for devised theater comes from a strong need to produce new work and a firm belief that everyone has an original idea. The beauty about devised work is that it allows individuals to share and sift through all of their original ideas, find the best ones, and then merge them together with other people’s inspiration. With this in mind, I collided my two interests together: a devised show exploring the multi-faceted views of privacy.

Graduate Students Alexandra King and
Andrea Rumble-Moore in rehearsals

Over the course of several days, my ensemble and I completely indulged in all of our creative thoughts on privacy. Some were interesting, some were weird, some were hilarious, and others were completely unrelated to anything we had conceived of. Once we had a pool of concepts, we began to isolate the ideas that could be developed into something that we needed to share. This sculpting process led us to the creation of a script, which has been crafted and edited throughout our rehearsal process. 

Now that we are a week away from opening it seems almost unreal. All of the work we created, all of the pieces we included in the performance and even more of the pieces we cut- all of this started with a conversation, with a friend on a park bench about our different ideas about privacy- the wonderful and terrifying interactions that occur when that privacy is broken.

WE MUST SHARE EVERYTHING runs January 26th at 8:30, January 27th and 28th at 7:00, and closes January 29th at 2pm in the Vasey Hall Studio on the second floor. Tickets are free but seating is limited. Register for your tickets today at www.shareeverything.eventbrite.com. 

We Love The 90s Playlist

The 1990s was a great decade of music and popular culture. To help us get into the apocalyptic world of MARISOL we've assembled a 1995 playlist. From the Crazy-Sexy-Cool ladies of TLC to the angst of Nirvana, this nostalgic playlist will send you back in time!

And one thing we noticed- man were the mid-90's a weird, dark time in American music.

via GIPHY

Without trying too hard we found song titles that reflect Marisol's chaotic world. Like...

Black Hole Sun by Sound Garden
It's The End of The World As We Know It by REM
Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes by TLC

...get pumped for the end of times or just enjoy this fierce playlist for your Halloween fun.



Marisol opens in two weeks and runs November 8-20 at Villanova Theatre. Tickets are $21-$25 with discounts available for students and seniors. For tickets and more information please click here or call 610-519-7474.

WAKE UP: Enter the world of MARISOL with Dramaturg Sarah Kelley

Second year graduate student Sarah Kelley has been working hard preparing to dramaturg MARISOL- which will serve as her final thesis project! As she traveled through the fantastical world of José Rivera, her vision of his work has deepened. Villanova Theatre is looking forward to sharing her engaging audience display which will prep audiences to enter Marisol’s world. Check out Sarah’s blog post to learn more about MARISOL.

Marisol by José Rivera is a puzzle that is a thrill to unravel. When I started my dramaturgical research this summer, I was excited and daunted by the wide range of topics Rivera introduces in the play and the passion with which he tackles them. Is the play about gender dynamics? Violence in urban areas? Millennialism and the Apocalypse? Homelessness and the growing gap between the rich and the poor? Through my research and our rehearsals so far, I really believe the play is about all of the above ideas and that they all have equal weight in telling Rivera’s story. Many past productions of Marisol chose one or two topical lenses through which to present the play to an audience, but one of James' goals is to bring clarity to all angles and fully explore everything Rivera gives us to experiment with in this gorgeous and poetic script.

My two personal threads of interest the helped me step inside the world of the play on my first reading was: (1) the connection between societal fears of the Millennium in the early 1990s and the current fears we hold regarding the impending election of 2016; (2) linking the problems of the past and present that women face in a patriarchal and dangerous world. Using these concepts has been helpful for me to connect to Marisol. Although the play has many 1990s references, Rivera’s work feels incredibly timely for audiences right now at Villanova and in a larger context, as we strive to define what “American Values” are in 2016.

I've gained many new insights during the first two weeks of rehearsals watching the brilliant work of James, the cast, and the production team. I've learned how important the concepts of physical space and time are in understanding the characters’ journeys through the play. I have also learned that the contrast between what we expect as an audience and what is actually happening onstage is a huge part of Rivera's genius in crafting a masterpiece of "anti-apathy" theater. By pointing out the larger societal issues using the expressionistic imagery of magic realism, Rivera utilizes creativity and exaggeration to poke holes in existing socio-political systems and point out injustices that are often invisible in our daily lives. His storytelling encourages the audience’s emotions to shift from pathos to euphoria at the drop of a hat, like a heightened version of how we live each day.

I hope Marisol encourages everyone who sees it to WAKE UP and take action as much as it has inspired me to work toward making the world better during this process and beyond. Rivera intertwines activism with his goal of speaking modern truth to power through century’s old literary traditions of apocalyptic literature and magic realism. In the Augustinian spirit, I hope we all leave Villanova Theatre wanting to act on the courage of our own uncertainty and set the world aflame with positive change.

Villanova Theatre's production of MARISOL runs November 8-20. Get your tickets at www.villanovatheatre.org or give us a call at 610-519-7474.

A Playlist For ELECTRA

In celebration of the strong and powerful female characters of ELECTRA, our team has put together a playlist of our favorite bad a$$ ladies. From Beyonce to Joan Jett - Florence And The Machine to Aretha Franklin, this playlist has something for everyone.

via GIPHY

Whether you'd like to inspire your inner Goddess or get prepared for Electra's fury, our exclusive playlist is ready to go for you!



Be sure to catch Villanova Theatre's own Bad A$$ women on stage at Sophocles' ELECTRA. There's only one week of performances left. Be sure to grab your tickets before we close on October 2nd. For tickets and more information visit www.villanovatheatre.org. 

Ancient Greek Theater Is Alive And Well: A Dramaturg's Perspective

Second year graduate student (and Costume Assistant extraordinaire!), Lexa Grace has been hard at work over the summer preparing for her role as a dramaturg for ELECTRA. As she traveled through Greece she studied first hand the art and culture of ancient Greece! Lexa was kind enough to share her journey with us and how she has discovered the timeless universality in Greek tragedy. Check out Lexa's blog and learn more about Sophocles' ELECTRA which opens tonight at Villanova Theatre!

I found out I had been selected as the dramaturg for Frank McGuinness’ adaptation of Sophocles’ Electra back in May. I was eating dinner with one of my “non-theater” friends, when the email appeared on my phone. I squealed with excitement as I scrolled through the message.

“I’m going to be the dramaturg for Electra” I told my friend.

“What’s that?” he responded, having never heard the term before. 

“It’s the person who does all the research for a production,” I explained. I then gave him a laundry list of things a dramaturg does including, providing the cast and crew with relevant historical research, writing program notes, organizing speaker’s night, creating a visual file, and so on.

“So, what do you do?” he asked again, after my spiel. I looked at him, dumbfounded. Hadn’t I just gone through all of the duties of a dramaturg for him?

“I mean, what do you research?” he asked. “You keep talking about all these things you will do with your “research,” but what are you actually researching?”

I froze with a piece of sushi halfway to my mouth, pondering this very simple, yet incredibly large, question. 

“Greek Theatre?” I suggested after a moment. “Sophocles… Frank McGuinness, mythology…” While I was correct in assuming I would touch on all of these subjects, I had no idea how deeply I would fall in love with all of these source materials, nor how much the research I would provide would affect the production.

One of the first areas of research I began to look into was the mythology surrounding Electra and her family. The stories ooze out of the ancient Greek tradition of oral story telling. While at first glance the story might appear to be an ancient relic, full of Greek gods and heroes whose names are barely recognizable; the more I read about Electra and her family, the more I felt as if I was reading a Game of Thrones spinoff novel. The myths of Electra’s family are full of brutal bloody murders, passionate love affairs, unbearable grief, and incredible joy. These themes and paradoxes are the backbone of all ancient Greek drama and the very ingredients that make these plays still relevant and entertaining in the 21st century.

After learning about the legend of Electra’s family, I began to research how Sophocles’ version of Electra would have been performed in ancient Greece. I found that while the themes present in ancient Greek drama remain universal, performance styles have varied greatly over the past several years. Ancient Greek performances were full of spectacle. The plays were traditionally presented during City Dionysia, a six day festival in March, usually right after a sacrifice to the gods was made. Choral songs and dances were interwoven into the plays and represented a huge aspect of ancient Greek theater. My favorite aspect of the Electra process has been getting to see how my research on this ancient form of spectacle has entered into and been interpreted by the design team. Our director, Father David, has done an excellent job of interpreting ancient Greek traditions and mythologies in a way that greatly benefits our production.

As we get closer to opening, I can see the importance of Electra’s mythology and the traditions of ancient Greek theater has on the play. The performance does not demand that the audience have an intense understanding of Greek mythology or theater, nor does it attempt to imitate the ancient Greek tradition. However, the actors have used the research I have provided to inform their performances in a dynamic way that transcends the specificity of a traditional ancient Greek drama. It has been an absolute joy to watch the cast and crew create a performance that uses the traditions and legacy of the play, without making it feel like a history drama. I am incredibly excited for the actors to perform their work and show our audiences how exciting and universal these ancient stories still are.

Villanova Theatre's production of ELECTRA runs September 20-October 2nd. Get your tickets at www.villanovatheatre.org or give us a call at 610-519-7474.

Living and Learning in Ireland

Ever wonder what Villanova Theatre's Abbey Theatre Exchange program is like? Villanova Theatre is incredibly lucky to continue our partnership with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin to offer students an immersive learning experience abroad. We sat down with second year acting scholar, Dan Cullen, who gave us an inside scoop about the program!

This summer I was fortunate enough to participate in the Abbey Summer Studio – made possible through Villanova’s partnership with Ireland’s National Theatre. 

This was the second year of their Summer Studio, and it is an incredible opportunity for any Villanova student.  The program was made up of ten students from the University’s graduate theatre, literature, and liberal studies programs; about a dozen undergraduates; and a handful of students from University College Dublin. The variety of backgrounds that the Summer Studio brings together makes for a unique learning opportunity: not only were we spending a month immersed in a rich artistic culture, but we also were able to see how students of other disciplines perceive the same material in such different ways.  All too often academic programs can feel as though their subject matter exists in a vacuum.  The greatest strength of the Abbey Summer Studio is the way it highlights the intersectionality between the theatrical and the literary, between the Irish experience and the American, between the academic and the practical.

The first three weeks of the program takes place in Dublin.  Every morning there is a classroom session which is a combination of lecture and discussion.  Students are asked to read a selection of modern and contemporary plays by Irish authors chosen to demonstrate the impact of drama on Irish society.  We discussed the place of theatre in the Irish political discourse, especially throughout the 20th century, how instrumental the Abbey Theatre in particular was in the Irish struggle against colonial rule and the creation of its national identity.  It was inspiring to see how these plays worked in terms of literature, influencing the national consciousness, and comparing it to how social commentary works on the American stage which enjoys far less institutional support.

Afternoons were spent in the Abbey Theatre’s rehearsal space where we examined the canonical literature we had discussed in the morning in a much more theatrical way.  The Abbey’s educational staff took us through workshops in voice and movement, and we applied these skills to create sketches based on the themes and language of the texts.  There were also creative writing workshops that allowed students to create new pieces in conversation with the great works we were studying, and demonstrate how those themes relate to contemporary Irish and American experiences.  These sessions were geared toward a performance at the end of our time in Dublin at the Abbey’s intimate Peacock Theatre.  This performance showcased the literary analysis we had done, the voice and body training we received, and the creative spirit of the program.

The remainder of our time in Ireland was spent at the National University of Ireland at Galway.  The library there has a comprehensive archive of materials from the Abbey that date back to its very foundation.  We were asked to engage our newly acquired knowledge of Great Irish dramatic literature with the materials in the archive to create a research paper.  Here again we were asked to synthesize the texts of the plays and their place in Irish history with what had taken place in production – how the activities on the Abbey stage related to the social, political, and cultural climate of their time and place.  We discovered how Ireland is a case study for the effective power of the theatre whose aptitude rivals the ancient Greeks and Romans.  Ideally this experience will allow us to apply the lessons offered to us by the Irish theatre and elevate the theatre to such an influential level in our own culture.      

The Universal in TRANSLATIONS: A Dramaturg's Perspective

Graduate Student, Elise D'Avella, has been hard at work this year. She's closing up the year by completing her thesis, directing Sarah Kane's CRAVE, and dramaturging our upcoming production of TRANSLATIONS. Elise was kind enough to share her thoughts on her process this year, and how Friel's play drenched in Irish history has stolen her heart. Check out Elise' blog post below and learn more about Friel's play, Translations, transporting audiences to Ireland starting next week. 

I’ve taken on many different roles at Villanova this year. I stage managed the mythical production of Eurydice, got into the body of a witch in Macbeth, I am directing the daunting Sarah Kane’s Crave for my directing thesis, and now I am dramaturging the upcoming production of Brian Friel’s Translations. By taking on all of these varying roles I’ve discovered that through the experience of each, you develop a unique type of ownership, a love, a connection to each production:

As a stage manager, I developed a maternal love for Eurydice, supporting the production as it grows into its full potential and being there to catch it when it falls. As an actor, the love is more selfish. Macbeth is clearly witch 3’s story, I don’t care what anybody says. Which of course is ridiculous, but completely necessary. It is your responsibility as an actor to go to bat for your character even if you’re the only one on their side. As a director, you fall in love with the story. Is the production visually, aurally, emotionally telling this story as meaningfully as it can? You fawn over every little detail, down to the positioning of an actor’s foot at any given moment. Finally, as a dramaturg, you develop a love for the playwright, the text, and the core of what gives the play its staying power.

I could not have asked for a more beautiful play to fall in love with during my first dramaturgical experience. In researching Translations, I have discovered that almost every line has at least one layer of meaning underneath of it, and yet, Brian Friel is so skilled at his craft that you do not see the layers of work, you only feel them. I was blown away when I found out that he thought this play would never succeed. He said in an interview, “Nowadays, to write a three-act naturalistic play set in the 19^th century in the Gaeltacht is a recipe for some kind of instant death, so its success astonished me.” In a way, he has a point. This play is extremely specific and at face value doesn’t seem like it will relate to a universal audience, but somehow it does.

I have been fascinated throughout this rehearsal process- constantly trying to figure out what exactly is it about this play? How does it bring someone like myself, who knew next to nothing about Irish history, to tears every time?

Time and time again, it comes back to what Friel had said about his play, although the politics in the piece are unavoidable, Translations is solely about language. It is about what connects us as humans; are words the sole means of communication or is there a language that exists without words? Translations also engages with the inevitability of change and transition. As history teaches us, empires are destined to fall, and it is only those who can adapt that survive. Friel was concerned with what is lost in these moments of transition. Is it possible to hold onto a cultural identity across all borders or is it doomed to be lost in translation?

The English language is now Ireland’s language, and yet, it’s not. In Friel’s opinion, Ireland has yet to learn to absorb English, and it was his mission as a playwright to rediscover the Irish identity within the English language. For this reason, Translations was very close to his heart.

He described writing Translations as a form of Pietas, a sense of loyalty or dutifulness to one’s home. This sense of loyalty is something that can be universally related to, and may be the key to why,Translations continues to inspire and communicate with us today. 

-Elise D'Avella

Villanova Theatre's production of Translations runs April 12-24. Get your tickets at www.villanovatheatre.org or call us at 610-519-7474.

Get Into The Spirit With Some Irish Tunes

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. We have a barn built in our theater for Brian Friel's Translations. It only seems appropriate that we create an Irish themed playlist to keep us in the spirit all through April.

We pulled together our favorite Irish and Irish American artists for this special playlist. The Cranberries, Van Morrison, Dropkick Murphy's, RIVERDANCE- the Irish have a lot of tunes to keep your toes tapping.



We may have had too much fun creating and we hope you have as much fun listening to it! Translations runs April 12-24 here at Villanova Theatre. Click here for tickets and more information. 

Brighten Your Day With Some Barbershop

As we approach the Opening Night of A Wonderful Noise we're grooving to the  nostalgic tunes of barbershop quartets. We were inspired by the harmonies of the 40's and began collecting songs for our special "Happy Harmonies Through the Ages" playlist. From Queen to the Pentatonix, this special playlist features songs that riff off of the quintessential barbershop style. Visit the Villanova Theatre Talk Blog to check it out! And then there is always Steve Carrell.




Let us know some of your favorite harmonies!

A Peek Inside The Evaluation Room: Building a New Play With Kristin Miller

Villanova Theatre is thrilled to present our first Graduate Student produced Studio Show, The Evaluation Room, written by second year Kristin Miller. This program was started to provide a unique opportunity for our Graduate Students to collaborate and produce original work together. Kristin was generous enough to share her process and feelings over the course of developing and staging her new work: 

Playwrights are always listening to characters fall in love, fall out of love, argue, lie, break down, and reconcile. Every character lives a full life, and becomes a person, inside the creator’s mind. I care deeply about every person I dare to offer the world. It doesn’t matter to me how many lines she speaks or how many pages she’s in—each person is worthy of my full attention and careful consideration. All of this probably makes me sound a little bit obsessed. I think, as a playwright, you have to be a tiny bit obsessive or you’ll never give in to the agony it takes to flesh a piece out completely.  The internal life of a play in my head can be satisfying by itself, but the greatest reward is watching other artists pull everything I’ve been thinking out onto the stage in front of me.

I was very nervous when we sat down for The Evaluation Room auditions. Would people pick up on the quirks and vibes of my characters? How would the energy flow between actors? Did these characters even make sense? Do they need to make sense? When I was a senior in college we staged a rehearsed reading of this play, but this was the first time people had ever actually auditioned for a play I wrote. For the first ten minutes my fists were clenched and my lips were pursed—I was trying to look very serious in an attempt to mask my urge to burst into anxious tears. But then something magical happened: just as I opened my mouth to say something about a character, Meg (the director) was already saying it. I turned, a dumbstruck look on my face. Suddenly every restless feeling in my body melted away. Of course, I already knew that Meg understood my aesthetic, but hearing her say something I was thinking at the exact same moment was enough to make me swoon!

That moment with Meg was the first moment of spontaneous harmony, but it was definitely not the last. There have been so many times over the past weeks when my brain has been directly linked to Meg’s and Amanda’s (dramaturg and actor!) that I don’t think I could mention each instance if I tried. Before we started this process I believed revisions were needed. I started writing The Evaluation Room when I was 21 years old, and since then I have evolved as a person tremendously I knew that some perspectives would shift. However, I did not expect to find and develop a completely new ending and add almost 40 pages worth of new material!

There are many questions that playwrights cannot answer for themselves. There are things we cannot see when we look at the words that directors, dramaturgs, actors, and designers see immediately. I sat down for a casual lunch with Amanda, after our first read of the script, knowing that we’d have a great conversation about structure, arc, and character development. I found out something much more important during that lunch, though: Amanda cared about the play just as deeply as I did. I didn’t think it was possible for another person to have the same ardent passion for this play. I listened with new ears during our second read of the script, and heard genuine devotion in the voices of every person in the room. It’s a feeling I cannot accurately describe. The best I can say is that I continually have wonderful realizations that everyone involved in the development of The Evaluation Room is as invested as I am. This experience clarifies beyond any shadow of a doubt that the theatre is the place for me.

This blog post has turned into a bit of a love letter to the cast and production team, but that feels entirely right. A play is just words on a page without people willing to lift it onto its feet and put it in front of an audience. I am honored that such talented and generous artists are dedicating themselves to realizing a play that lives so close to my heart. Each of them has been instrumental in The Evaluation Room’s growth. Inspiration comes in the most mysterious ways. Whether it was a late night text message from Ebeth (Lizzie), a chat on the way to the car with Jess (Frank), an off-the-cuff remark from John (Prince) or Mark (J-Man), or the perfect facial expression from Lize (Gabe). Everyone has offered something invaluable to the development of this play. In fact, just when I thought the play was nearly complete I sat with Elise to talk about her character Mags and found that the character I’d created was awakened by Elise and emerged more beautifully than I had ever imagined. 

Meet Kristin's characters and be the first to see this world premiere production! The Evaluation Room will run January 26-31 in the Vasey Hall Studio. Tickets are free but seating is limited. For more information and to reserve your tickets click here.