On the evening of the Sept. 20th and 21st, in Roger Williams University Performing Arts Barn the freshmen actors will perform their debut show. The show, Tiny Beautiful Things, originally a book that was published in 2012, is a collection of true essays that were compiled from an advice column. Not only is this play a debut for the freshmen but also a RWU debut for the director, Tanya Martin, which makes this a special experience for everyone involved.
We went in during their final days of rehearsal to speak with the cast about their experience. Definitely of note was the time commitment that they all contributed to master this performance in a mere three weeks. They also detailed the special bonds they have created in the Barn, especially as freshmen enter a new environment.
When we asked Martin why she selected this piece as the debut choice she revealed that her intentions were beyond the surface of just a good show.
“This is a story about going from isolation to community and I thought that was really meaningful for this group of students because of what they went through during Covid and now we are here and they are all new coming from different places and they are creating a community here at Roger Williams and also as theater students,” said Martin.
Tiny Beautiful Things is very intimate and has lots of tender moments that audience members of all ages and walks of life will relate to.
Martin said that working with these young students was a joy and that she hopes that the audience understands “Even though these are young adults, these students are able to relate to stories of characters that have been through all kinds of things… characters that might be older than them; that they are able to really engage and embody that material. Even though they are young, they understand.”
Something interesting about this performance is that the main character, Sugar, is played by three different actors throughout the play. Lola Bergeron told us about sugar, “sugar is very relatable… because she is very vulnerable and shares a lot of her struggles and I think there are struggles we have all maybe faced.” Lola mentioned that it’s been a “unique challenge” tackling this role.
In terms of these freshmen growing their acting abilities throughout the play under the guidance of Martin; Alana Lemene told us this, “This play in particular is a really emotional play so I really like expressing that so the audience knows through tone, through facial expression, through the way lines are delivered…”
After spending some time with this bright cast and hearing about the work they have put in through the past three weeks we asked them what they hope the audience will take away from their performance this weekend. The answers we received all had a recurring theme, showing that the cast is truly united in this process which makes us so excited to see this show.
Ghost Feldmeier told us, “I hope they find something that they relate to, something that makes them think, something that makes them feel seen or heard… I hope that someone hears something they weren’t expecting.”
Alana Lemene said, “I hope they notice the humor in the play… it makes them feel something”.
Lastly, Lola Bergeron said, “I hope that they come away with a feeling of hope.”
We never miss a RWU Theatre department performance. Tiny Beautiful Things will not be an exception. We encourage everyone to come experience this brilliant work and support the freshmen’s class debut! Thank you to the cast and director for allowing us a sneak peek preview into such a marvelous performance.
