Photo Credit: Audrey Haley
Senior theater and film major Haley Sorg from Clinton, Arkansas, made her directorial debut on March 6. The play took place at the Techionery Theater on campus and even toured to Clinton High School and Russellville High School.
Dr. David Eshelman, head of the Department of Communication and Media Studies, played a large role in the production of the play. Describing the origin of the story, Eshelman said, “‘True Tales of the Weird’ is based on a real book from 1920, of allegedly true experiences. Sidney Dickinson’s wife believed she could see spirits. Her husband wrote about what she saw.”
Along with Eshelman, Sorg had her own knowledge of the story’s origin. She said she was fascinated with the characters in the story.
“A character in the play (Frederick) is a serial killer, and he’s actually based on a real person; some people believed he was Jack the Ripper.” (If you aren’t familiar with Jack the Ripper, he was one of the earliest and most prolific serial killers of all time.)
Sorg said she was fascinated by this connection. “It’s a very interesting story,” she said.
Eshelman and Sorg worked tirelessly on the play.
“I adapted the play in a chamber theater style, which means that it is very close to the source material,” he said.
However, they didn’t do it alone. The play required a crew of 18 students. One of the students, Abigail Sterling, a junior computer science major from Lincoln, Arkansas, was doing the play purely out of love for the craft.
What did she want audiences to know about the play?
“All the costume changes are really good. I love all of the people here; the vibes are really good.”
The cast and crew faced many challenges getting to opening night.
An original actor got sick a week before opening night, and they dealt with a time crunch. The cast and crew worked hard to design and build the set as well as develop light cues and sounds. Students had to work against time constraints and handle a monetary budget, all on top of continuing regularly scheduled classes and work.
Raine Gordon, a senior environmental science major from Little Rock, Arkansas, spoke regarding the challenges of the play production.
“We’ve been working really hard to overcome obstacles and make this happen.”
As to the substance of the play, she said, “it’s a very interesting play in terms of how it’s framed and provides a great experience for someone wanting to see a less traditional style story told.”
For the students, Eshelman said “it is a very literal experience, and challenging for the actors.”
Concluding her directorial debut, Sorg said she wants to pursue a career in stage management after graduation.
