How do you decide who is the best option to raise a child? The play “Luna Gale,” coming to Winthrop today, attempts to answer this. Based on the book of the same name and written by Pulitzer Prize finalist, Rebecca Gilman, the show is about a “seasoned social worker who comes across two parents” director Brittany Branham said.
“Through the course of the show she is trying to figure out what is best for the baby,” Branham said.
The baby in question is Luna Gale and where the show gets its namesake. Throughout the course of the show, we follow social worker, Caroline, trying to make the final decision about troubled teenage parents, Karlie and Peter. The show originated at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in 2014 and has won the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association’s new play award. In its original Chicago run, the play was directed by Robert Falls.
About the director
As the show makes its way to Winthrop, it is being directed by senior theatre education major Brittany Branham. This is her second time directing an on-campus production, though she has tried her hand at stage managing a few times before. Last fall she made her directorial debut for the Fall One-Act Festival. She also starred as the Grandma last year in the spring one act play, “The Boy Who Stole the Stars.”
Branham started exploring theater during middle school.
“It was an outlet to get out of my shell,” Branham said.
Now she is about to graduate with a theater education degree. Before she goes, she hopes to have more opportunities to act on stage this year.
“I have definitely learned a lot in the last four years, but definitely want to continue to learn,” Branham said.
After college, she wants to teach high school theater in the public school system. Along with that, she also wants to open a children’s theater to introduce kids to the “wonderful world of theater.”
Branham hopes the audience will enjoy the rawness of “Luna Gale.”
“It tackles a lot of taboo topics, you get a look into issues no one really talks about,” Branham said. “This might not [be] relatable to too many students, but I at least think it will be interesting for social work majors because it is basically one big case study.”
Meet the cast
Maddie Willard is taking on the main role of Caroline. She finds Caroline to be complex but resonates with the fact that at her core “she just cares so much about the children she is taking care of.”
“As a person who wants to be a teacher and take care of children in my real life, I feel very connected to and empathise with with this character,” Willard said.
Taylor Evans is playing the role of Lourdes, a past case of Caroline’s who has just grown out of the foster care system.
“I feel as though the show really calls out the entire foster care system, and how it fails so many children in this country,” Evans said. “I have a personal connection with this show because close family friends of mine are foster parents and I see how the system works on a daily basis.”
Alyssa Farris is playing the role of Luna Gale’s grandmother in her first full length show at Winthrop.
“The way that the script describes her is an evangelical christian. She is very much with the lord and does what she calls the lord’s work. She is basically the antagonist of the play,” Farris said. “It wasn’t hard getting into the role, because growing up I have met people who claim to be of Jesus but use the bible to fit their agenda, much like this character does,” Farris said.
The cast has been working on this production since Aug. 31, practicing 4-5 hours a day.
“This process went by so fast but it has been a great experience working with such talented people and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to bring this character to life,” Willard said.
After weeks of hard work, the cast is looking forward to seeing how the audience reacts to the show.
“People should come see the show because it is always good to support art and student artists, especially since this is a student directed show. It is a compelling story. It is dark, but it has humor, charm, and is really meant to make you think,” Farris said.
The production is from Wednesday, Sept. 26 through Saturday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. in Johnson Studio theater.
Contributors: Sarah Delventhal; Caleb Hinkley; Tea Franco
