The premiere performance of Theatre Arts professor Dr. Saviana Stanescu's BACK TO ITHACA: A CONTEMPORARY ODYESSY is tonight at 8:00 PM in Dillingham Center. Written and Directed by Dr. Stanescu, the piece has been a collaborative effort with the cast and is based on interviews with local Vietnam veterans.
As the stage manager on this project, Back to Ithaca: A Contemporary Odyssey it is very exciting! Edits coming in, new aspects to discover, and a cast ready with a "yes" attitude, it's all very wonderful to witness. Though, I suppose it's hard to say that I am witnessing it. Throughout this whole short process (only just beginning October 1st) I've had to take on many hats. They do all fall under the all-encompassing "Stage Manager," but it's been very rewarding to look at all aspects of the theatrical experience from going to Ithaca Falls to do video filming then editing it to create a projection, purchasing props, and even bringing in instruments from my home, it's all been a humbling experience.
I come into the rehearsal space and my actors are ready for anything. We had one rehearsal just recently where we spent the last hour building the costumes right on the actors through cutting and pinning fabric until it was just right. We have had actors come into rehearsal with something they thought would work for an instrumental aspect of the show and it's being used. It's all just a collaborative process where I feel like each of us has put our handprint on it and though it has a director, it is developed with everyone in that rehearsal space.
Usually it is expected that there is a team or crew of individuals working on a specific project to help out- props, costumes, set, lights, etc.. Though we have definitely had an extraordinary amount of help from professors and individuals throughout IC that I am so grateful for, it has been very different than what you may think of when you imagine a "theatre production." We create things. We make it work. We are, as Saviana Stanescu (Director) has engrained into my mind throughout this experience, "game." That's exactly it. - Margaret Carey '14
Performance dates/times are October 25th at 8PM, October 26th at 2PM and 8PM, and October 27th at 2PM and 6PM. There will be a talk-back following the Saturday matinee performance. All performances will be held in Studio 2 in Dillingham Center.
Tickets for “Back to Ithaca” are free, but reservations are highly recommended. To reserve tickets for “Back to Ithaca” e-mail ictams1@gmail.com and indicate a first and second choice of performance date and time. All tickets are distributed on a first come first serve basis, and must be picked up at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the performance.
There will be a wait list for each performance, but tickets are not guaranteed.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Cynthia Stewart at cfstewart@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20131025090111673