After spending several years dedicating their time and energy to Seattle Public Theater's youth program, high-school graduates Anna Crandall, Maggie Williams and Katt Carlson will take their final bows.
"All three of them, when I met them, were kids, and watching them grow up and deepen and expand is such a thrill," said Shana Bestock, artistic and education director at Seattle Public Theater (SPT). "To be a part of their lives and to be able to see a kid through so much change in the role of teacher and director in a non-parental role is a real honor and treat, and I really treasure it."
Their final performances
The three young women will mark their final performances as SPT students with Paula Vogel's "Desde-mona: A Play About a Handkerchief," which runs July 29 through 31. The play, both serious and comic, presents an alternate view of the female characters in William Shakespeare's "Othello," raising questions about the role of women through the ages.
"It's a very feminist play in some ways," Carlson said. "It has a lot to do with sexuality, too."
"It's short, but it's very intense," Crandall added. "It's really fun to be able to express that rage on stage."
The three students chose the play because it posed a challenge to them with its maturity and bluntness.
"It's just a great acting play for women," Bestock said. "Scene to scene, there are some great laughs in it."
Crandall plays the role of Desde-mona, an upper-class wife who has the attitude of a teenager. "She's the type of teenager that every parent has nightmares about," Crandall said. "It is a fun part because I am a teenager."
Williams plays Desdemona's older, Irish-Catholic servant, Emilia, who is the most world-weary of the lot, she said of her character: "She has some very moving monologues."
Carlson plays the role of Bianca, the town floozy. "She's very down-to-earth and sensible," she described.
'A different energy'
SPT's youth program is in its fifth summer at the Bathhouse. Last year, its first graduating class performed "The Compleat Works of Shake-speare Abridged."
"It's a totally different group of kids," Bestock said of this year's group. "It's a different energy, and it's a very different play."
The upcoming production demonstrates how the students have learned to work as a team. This is the first time all three of them have performed in a play together.
In addition to acting, the theater has given Williams an opportunity to serve as an assistant director and assistant house manager. "It's definitely a good experience," she said.
Crandall also has enjoyed participating in different aspects of the theater. "Everyone is really a part of the community, and it's really a group project," she said, adding that SPT has been like a second family to her.
"My friends are here. I like it here, and it's a good place to be," Williams added.
College aspirations
All three graduates plan to attend college in the fall.
Crandall plans to attend Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore.
Williams will study creative writing at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va.
Carlson plans to study drama or math at Evergreen State College in Olympia.
They all plan to continue their involvement in theater.
"Theater's always been a big part of my life," said Carlson, who performed in her first play at age 4. "I can't stop doing theater; it's in my blood."
"The things you learn while you're on stage...those are good techniques that I'm probably going to use no matter where I am," Williams added.
Upcoming performances
Performances of "Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief" are at Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Green Lake Drive N., on July 30 and 31 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There will be a preview performance on July 29 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the SPT Drama program, call 524-1300.
Jessica Davis writes about arts and entertainment for the Herald-Outlook. She can be reached via e-mail at needitor @nwlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]
