Play set in bus station tackles existence

By Richard Marmolejo/campus editor

South Campus’ theater students get ready to take the stage with their Nov. 16-18 performances of Passengers by Sam Bobrick.

The play has four actors who play 18 characters in eight short scenes that take place in a small Midwest bus station.

The production is directed by South drama instructor Richard Haratine, who has been preparing for opening night for over a month.

“They are invited to reflect on their relationships to other people, particularly other people that they may disagree with or not particularly understand,” Haratine said.

Kristen Clay, who plays Jane, Audrey, and Jun, Jacob Gilmore, who plays Bobby, Mace, and Station Master 1 and Kyle Dodd, who plays Walter, Ernest, and Station Master 2, rehearse a scene during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.
Kristen Clay, who plays Jane, Audrey, and Jun, Jacob Gilmore, who plays Bobby, Mace, and Station Master 1 and Kyle Dodd, who plays Walter, Ernest, and Station Master 2, rehearse a scene during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.

The company is comprised of five actors, which include four stagehands and practicum students that are helping build the sets, Haratine said.

Keeping the production straightforward, Haratine wanted it to be simple and direct as the playwright wrote it, he said.

“I love working with this cast,” Haratine said. “They are very professional and are always ready and willing to bring their creativity to rehearsals.”

South student Kristen Clay, who plays multiple roles including Audrey, describes the play as funny yet serious with a powerful underlying message.

“There’s a lot of deep, heartfelt moments,” she said. “And there’s a lot of comedy and some action that we’ve thrown in there, and it’s all tied up together. [The play] makes you wonder, you know, like ‘what is life truly like, what is death, and where do we all end up?’”

South students Christian West, who plays Howard, Frank, and Al, Jacob Gilmore, who plays Bobby, Mace, and Station Master 1, and Kyle Dodd who plays Walter, Ernest, and Station Master 2, rehearse a scene during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.
South students Christian West, who plays Howard, Frank, and Al, Jacob Gilmore, who plays Bobby, Mace, and Station Master 1, and Kyle Dodd who plays Walter, Ernest, and Station Master 2, rehearse a scene during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.
Photo by Lacey Phillips/The Collegian

South student Hima Mettu plays four characters including Lorraine and Clara. Mettu has enjoyed her time working on the play and shared her outlook on it.

“This is my second play here at TCC, and my experience doing theater here has been great,” she said. “This play’s setting makes it feel as if it is taking place at an actual bus station. And the way the play unravels [acts as] a way of teaching the audience about the different stages of life.”

South student Jacob Gilmore, who plays multiple roles including Bobby, had a slightly different encounter with the play’s production.

“I’ve had a bit of a unique experience because I’m helping build the set while also acting in the play,” he said. “It’s been great. I love it. It’s probably one of the better plays we’ve worked on in a while, and it’s really fun putting it together.”

South student Christian West, who plays three characters including Frank, compared the similarities of his characters.

“The character I’m tied to more would absolutely have to be Frank because [his] nervous energy I tend to have a lot,” West said. “He also doubts himself too, so there’s that connection. It’s just weird basically playing yourself [as a] character.”

South student Jacob Gilmore, who plays multiple roles including Bobby, squats while standing on a table during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.
South student Jacob Gilmore, who plays multiple roles including Bobby, squats while standing on a table during a play rehearsal Oct. 31.
Photo by Lacey Phillips/The Collegian

Mettu also explained how the characters she portrays contrasts with her own personality.

“I play a character, Lorraine, who is unfortunately not a very happy person, but it is funny to play her because of her tendencies to be sarcastic,” Mettu said. “It’s interesting for me to play two examples of characters who tend to be nasty, even though I don’t have a nasty nature.”

Clay, who enjoys the fast-paced environment of the play, explained what the audience should prepare for during the performance.

“Every scene is like a different set of characters,” she said. “So, you get attached to a set of characters, and then the scene is over. And then you get attached to another set of characters, and then that scene is over.”

Gilmore, who shared his input on the drama, encouraged students to come out and enjoy the performance.

“There’s a good amount of slapstick humor, but it also gets a little bit deep,” he said. “If you want something funny but with real meaning behind it, it’s definitely something to consider.”

South student Christian West, who plays three characters including Frank reads a newspaper during a rehearsal Oct. 31.
South student Christian West, who plays three characters including Frank reads a newspaper during a rehearsal Oct. 31. Photo by Lacey Phillips/The Collegian

Passengers

Performances are free to TCC students, faculty and staff.

Tickets are $3 for non-TCC students and $6 for the general public, cash only.

Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16-18 in the SPAC main stage.