From Feb. 10 through Feb. 20, Sacred Heart University’s Theater Arts Program (TAP) will premiere “The Mad Ones,” originally written by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk. The production will take place in the Little Theater.
“‘The Mad Ones’ is a dramatic coming of age story with a deep emotional twist accompanied by some extremely beautiful music,” said sophomore Nick Rubano.
Rubano played the role of Adam. He has been involved in TAP since his first semester at Sacred Heart.
“When I heard they would be producing ‘The Mad Ones,’ I was super excited because I already knew and loved some of the music of the show,” said Rubano.
The show consists of only four cast members. The cast said they worked relentlessly during rehearsals to fully understand the story and channel their characters.
“I worked with my director Gerry Goehring and researched different mothers’ roles on television that were overbearing,” said junior Allie Cimaglia.
Cimaglia took inspiration from the two mothers featured in the popular television series, “The Big Bang Theory,” for her role as Beverly.
“One is very uptight and smart, which Beverly is, and one is kind of the more embarrassing mom,” said Cimaglia. “I took a little bit of both and used that.”
Freshman Grace Peknic played the lead role of Sam. She was previously in Scared Heart’s production of “The Other Josh Cohen.”
Before participating in “The Mad Ones,” Peknic had a history of performing mostly in comedic roles.
“I would always just smile on stage and do the motions, but in this show I really learned how to tap into my character and all the loss and the grief she’s dealing with,” said Peknic. “That was really big because I’ve never had that challenge as an actress before.”
There is a lot of work that goes into creating the production by not only the cast, but also the entire crew. There are many jobs that go on behind the scenes.
“As producers, we are in charge of money for the show. If any of the designers need to buy something for the show, they come to us. We also head the marketing and advertising for the show,” said sophomore Danielle Savino.
Junior Grace Curley is the production stage manager. The stage manager creates the schedule for rehearsals and creates a rehearsal report. Reports include recording the details of the rehearsal. During the live performance, Curley is also in charge of calling the show and cueing the lights and sound.
Curley got into contact with actress Emma Hunton, who played Kelly in the original Off-Broadway production of “The Mad Ones.”
“The Mad Ones was such a pivotal moment in my life and changed who I am as a human. I hope it brings everyone involved so much magic and spontaneity into your lives as much as Kelly gave to Sam and mine,” said Hunton.
Junior Kimmy Johnson plays the role of Kelly in Sacred Heart’s adaptation.
“Going through this process, the cast and I have grown so much and have such an appreciation for all of the characters and the story. We have made such great connections to the show, and I am excited to see how much the audience loves it,” said Johnson.
“The Mad Ones” will have performances on Feb. 17 – Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Little Theater, as well as Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office in Edgerton.
“I would encourage everyone to see the show because I think everyone can take a lesson out of it and everyone can see themselves as a character,” said Peknic. “Parents can see themselves as the mother and teenagers can relate to that moment, graduating high school, going to college and experiencing all the fear, but all the freedom you have.”