Eleemosynary

“Eleemosynary: of or pertaining to alms; charitable.”

Odds are that this word is not part of even most college students everyday vernacular; however, words like this and many others that fills the pages of daunting dictionaries everywhere also fill the pages of the script for Eleemosynary opening Feb. 15 in the Fred Stone Theatre.

Eleemosynary is comprised of three women: Dorothea, a vivacious older woman who has chosen to be eccentric, Artemis, Dorothea’s daughter who actively tries to be nothing like her mother, and Artemis’s daughter Echo, who exudes complex intelligence but longs for simplicity.

As with most shows of the Second Stage season that takes place each year in the Fred, Eleemosynary is a student-directed piece. First-time director Shannon Lynch ‘12 says, “This has been a whirlwind of things for me. The full-length directing experience brings a lot to the table that you don’t deal with in classroom scene work, like working with technical elements,” which include help from stage manager Katie Boone ‘14 and designs by Holly Stallard ‘13, Spencer Lynn ‘13, and Michelle Moran ‘14. “It’s both empowering and frightening to realize the extent of your power within the production,” Lynch added.

Kaitlyn Schirard ‘12 (Artemis), Alexis Riley ‘13 (Dorothea) and Katherine Waddell ‘15 (Echo) round out the cast of powerful women. Riley spoke highly of the cast and crew and the hard work they have put into the production. She specifically makes note of Schirard’s performance, “Kaitlyn Schirard is a deep breath of fresh air. Her performance masterfully combines a quiet intensity with a powerful charm that is both captivating and moving. As her scene partner, I have never felt safer. As an audience member, I am in awe.”

As upperclassmen theatre majors, Schirard and Riley are no strangers on stage here at Rollins. However, this is Waddell’s debut performance. Waddell said, “This experience has been very challenging in a good way and in a bad way as well. I came in straight from high school and I’m not used to doing three hour rehearsals, but I’ve had so much fun and learned so much and had such a great experience. I love everyone involved.”
Eleemosynary is compelling and entertaining. The three women command the stage and bring life to the black box theatre. When asked why Rollins students should see Eleemosynary, Schirard expressed how engaging shows wil small ensembles are both for the actors and audience. “That energy is worth coming to see because we’re all on stage all the time just going at it.”

Performances:

Wednesday, Feb. 15 @ 8 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 16 @ 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17 @ 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb 18. @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb 19. @ 2 p.m.