LAUREN SOVISKY
staff writer
Gannon’s Schuster Theatre opens its doors Sept. 29 to a southern drama called “Crimes of the Heart.”
Starting off the theatre season, this play tells the story of three sisters and their dysfunctional family located south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Staged in Mississippi, three sisters Meg, Babe and Lenny, reunite in their grandfather’s home after Babe shoots her husband.
She, however, is not the only sister with an ugly secret.
Both Meg and Lenny have troubled lives, and coming home only seems to make their already miserable lives worse.
Family members and other hardships from their past rise up to test whether each sister can handle the crimes of their hearts.
Despite the intense plot line, this drama is filled with comedy ranging from southern accents to crazy, and possibly relatable, family members.
With every performance comes new actors gracing the stage with fresh talent.
This production is no exception as it introduces freshman theology major Elizabeth Merski, who plays Meg, one of the lead sisters in the play.
Merski is no stranger to the stage having performed multiple plays in high school.
She said she is, however, ecstatic to make her debut at the Schuster Theater, stating the intimate experience with Gannon’s stage setup will be new but exciting to perform on.
“I love to feel those moments when I can clearly experience my performance on stage as the character,” Merski said.
“I am one of three sisters, and the unique bonds we have with one another heavily affects how we handle each situation we face.”
Rejoining the stage this season is junior theatre and communication arts major Megan Hamm, who plays the role of Babe.
This is the first time Hamm will be using an accent on stage.
“Dialects can be difficult,” Hamm said. “It’s all about repetition.”
Her character, Babe, has just shot her husband in the stomach and is now home dealing with loss, love and family.
When asked what was the most difficult part of the production so far, Hamm stated the comedy aspect, saying that comedies are always difficult to do.
“There has to be a certain urgency to it, making the laugh or reacting to another character. Alaina Manchester always says that during the performance, it should feel like you have to pee.”
Another new change for the 2016-17 season is the way in which tickets will be distributed as tckets for Schuster Theatre productions can now be reserved online.
Ticket reservations for “Crimes of the Heart” can be made over the phone, but the theatre is urging people to transition to this online option. Anyone wishing to reserve tickets can visit www.gannon.edu/schustertheatre.
On the main page, there is a red reservations button that will take patrons to a reservations form.
Once the reservation is submitted, people do not have to do anything else. Tickets will be waiting at the box office for them on the reserved show date.
“Crimes of the Heart” opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, and plays at 8 p.m. on Sept. 30, Oct. 3, and Oct. 6-8 and 2 p.m. Oct. 9.
Admission for the general public is $5 and free for Gannon faculty, staff and students with a current form of identification.
Bring your friends and come see this Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy that tells the story of a wonderfully dysfunctional Southern family.
LAUREN SOVISKY
[email protected]
