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As part of the programme for Theatre Arts, second year students carry through an individual project. Right, Nathan Osburn introduces his play to the audience, accompanied by Theatre Arts teacher Libby Mason. Next will be a dance performance by another second year student.
by Nathan Osburn
I knew from the beginning that my individual project for Theatre Arts was going to be a challenging task. The Homecoming was a 40 minute production involving six actors. Also, because I wanted to act in the piece as well as design, direct and produce it, I knew that I was going to have to draw heavily on every skill that I have obtained in my five plus years of theatre experience. And while my skills and experience were what I ultimately needed to create my final product, I also learned how important the entire team really is to a production, and the value of a committed member of the team. I also learned some valuable lessons about myself both as an actor and as a director.
I began by choosing the play. I knew that I wanted to do a piece from Robert Schenkkan's The Kentucky Cycle, a full length play that is divided into 9 short plays, but I wasn't sure which play to choose. I finally decided on the The Homecoming because it contained a character that I very much wanted to perform and the scale of it seemed reasonable. I then had to face the onslaught of skeptics who warned me of the extremity of the project I had taken on, including my parents, peers (both current and past theatre students), my director, and to be honest myself. But I knew that I wanted to create a full scale production that was entirely my own and was determined to see how good of a shot I could give it. In the end it was beautiful and brilliant and I was very pleased with the results as many audience members have expressed to me how moved they were by the piece.
The Homecoming is the third of the plays in The Kentucky Cycle and is about a young man named Patrick Rowen (Oliver Bruce). Patrick's father Michael Rowen (Nathan Osburn) is an Irish settler who in the previous two plays has raped a Cherokee woman named Star (Swelen Sawaya) and forced her to take care of his child by cutting her Achilles tendon so she can't run away. The play is about Patrick, who is now a young man seeking to marry a girl named Rebecca Talbert (Hannah Reade). Tensions mount between Patrick and his father and eventually Star convinces Patrick to kill his father and take his rightful share of the land. But Rebecca's father Joe Talbert (Trevor Rowlands) threatens to turn Patrick in and in a blind rage Patrick kills the father of his love. He will eventually go on to marry Rebecca as well as breed himself to a young slave girl named Sallie (Aida Mbow) whom Michael had bought for the same purpose.
I would like to take this last chance to thank immensely all of the actors mentioned above as well as my wonderful mother who made almost all of the beautiful costume for my play and Tom Theuns for helping with hitting my light cues. Thank you all for helping me to create this wonderful performance.
NEXT: DANCE PERFORMANCE
