Destiny Velasco-Izaguirre
Contributing Writer
Chattering Sewanee students clustered around the Tennessee Williams Center. Once they organize their props, Music Director Ellanna Swope (C ‘27) tells them to gather at the center stage. Then students break out into bird-themed warmups. Their chants echo in the auditorium: “So delightful, it’s like 25 pigeons.”
After six weeks of rehearsal, the University of the South’s Theater Department will bring “Bright Star” to the Proctor Hill Theater from October 14-18. “Bright Star” is a story rooted in the American South not only in the script, but through the cast and crew, made up mainly of Sewanee students.
For director Jim Crawford, the production began somewhat unconventionally. Rather than first watching “Bright Star” through a live production, Crawford discovered the show after colleagues and students working in the costume shop at the Tennessee Williams Center began listening to the original Broadway cast recording.
“They suggested the show to me, and I was happy to get caught up in their enthusiasm,” Crawford told The Sewanee Purple.
That enthusiasm has since grown into a six week production involving 25 student actors onstage and a large student crew working backstage. The production also brings together students and members of the surrounding community through its live bluegrass band.
During a “Bright Star” rehearsal, photo credit by Darwin Keck
“Bluegrass is community music, and where would we be without creating a community?” said Swope.
That community consists of not only Sewanee students but of alumni, staff members, a local highschooler and a student who attends a college nearby. When conducting a variety of ages, Swope describes her role with the band as the facilitator who waves her hands and listens to make sure that the notes and rhythms are accurate. She added that ultimately it’s been a team effort; Swope helps some members improve reading sheet music while they help her understand the bluegrass genre. Bluegrass is a music genre of American roots, a blend of blues, jazz and folk.
“Bluegrass is raw, and this story is raw,” Swope said. “This is the music of this area, of the Appalachians, and anyone can see themselves in these characters.”
Written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, “Bright Star” combines a bluegrass score with a story that moves between North Carolina in the 1920s and 1940s. The musical follows Alice Murphy, a literary magazine publisher in Asheville, North Carolina, whose encounter with a young World War II veteran causes her to revisit difficult memories from her teenage years in the Smoky Mountains.
Natalie Turnage (C ‘27) — who plays older Alice Murphy — describes her favorite scene as “a roller coaster of emotions.” The scene shifts as Alice Murphy comes to terms with her past, creating a heartwarming, pivotal scene of forgiveness. Turnage said, “We made somebody’s mama cry for the first time we did it.”
Turnage also notes another scene, where all the musical’s different elements contribute to the story in a way that, for Turnage, feels seamless:
“[In] act one, the second song, that’s a number that really lets the joy shine through and gives all of our amazing departments, like costumes, dance and music, a chance to be featured and a chance to really shine all together.
The production’s creative team reflects the student involvement behind the show. Theater Professor Jennifer Matthews designed the set, while guest artist Taylor Hulsey-Thomas designed the lighting. Students are taking on several major creative roles, including Antonia Cuevas (C ‘27) as costume designer, Gracie Moore (C ‘27) as choreographer and Sawyer Herring (C ‘27) as stage manager.
During a “Bright Star” rehearsal, photo credit by Destiny Velasco-Izaguirre
With a score that seamlessly transitions from lively to moody music in an instant, vocalists that embody the emotions of their character, literary references that any English major would laugh at, and small town archetypes, Crawford predicts a high demand for tickets and can’t wait to see the audience entertained.
“‘Bright Star’ has a lot going for it,” said Crawford. “It was a great opportunity to do a show that highlights the history of our own region.”
He said, “‘Bright Star’ will make you laugh, will leave a lump in your throat, and you’ll hear some terrific bluegrass singin’, pluckin’ and fiddlin’!”
Tickets to the production are free and can be reserved through Eventbrite.