This weekend, Duke’s student-run Wendell Theater Company will present Keith Huff’s gritty drama A Steady Rain, which follows the lives of two policemen as they become embroiled in a cannibalistic serial killer’s murderous plot. Recess’ Katya Prosvirkina spoke with actors Kyle Glackin and Ted Caywood and producer Ali Yalgin about the history of Wendell and the upcoming production.
Recess: What is the Wendell Theater Company?
Ali Yalgin: Wendell Theater Company is the student-run theater company at Duke. It has different funding than Duke Players. It is not faculty-related; it is completely independent. In 2009, after a couple of years on hiatus, a group of people started to get involved with Wendell again, most of whom were seniors—I was a sophomore then. We produced three plays that year, and the theme that we initially set was that our plays raise social awareness on campus.
R: What does it mean for you as actors to be independent of the Theater Studies department? Less funding? Less regulation?
Ted Caywood: Actually I’ve had a decent amount of experience with Hoof ‘n’ Horn being independent from the Theater Studies department and with Wendell I was in Stop Kiss, one of the last shows Wendell did. It’s different to an extent; on this play we’re still working with Jay O’Berski—he’s our director and part of the Theater Studies faculty, and we’ve gotten help from the costume department. There’s definitely a department influence on it.
Kyle Glackin: It’s also a lot of responsibility because I feel like since there is an acute number of people involved and we’re all students, success or failure rides on us a little bit more. There’s not as much of a safety net.
AY: Issues such as the performance rights and going to FedEx to get the posters printed—those are actually the students’ responsibilities. But whenever we are in trouble, we do not refrain from going up to the department and asking them for help, which is a great resource for us.
R: Do you identify with your character(s) or is this play out of your comfort zone?
TC: For me this is somewhat out of my comfort zone, and that is why Jay thought it would be a really good idea for me to play it. The character I play, Joey, is withdrawn, sheepish, likes to avoid confrontation, and is at least somewhat submissive. Normally, I tend to play really angry, powerful people. It’s definitely somewhat of a departure.
KG: I feel like as an actor you have to identify with the character. I always find myself identifying strongly with my characters by the end of the plays, which is kind of scary. Like Heath Ledger as the Joker – over the edge. I often play really loud angry characters. It’s a little outside my comfort zone, but I’m trying to find new ways to present myself.
R: What response are you hoping for from the audience?
KG: Shock is a good word for it. Jay said that he wanted the play to be really quick. He wanted it to sort of just happen and leave the audience to just sit there at the end saying, “What the hell?”
TC: And not really give people a chance to catch their breath. It’s sort of a thriller murder mystery, a crime drama kind of feel.
R: What is the best part about being an actor with the Wendell Theater Company?
KG: I think they sponsor shows that wouldn’t necessarily be done otherwise. And I think that has a lot of value on campus.
TC: Also, Wendell seems to be functioning as a project theater; someone has a project that they really want to get done, and they do it. As opposed to a part in a play where a professor has something they really want to get done and they have to convince everyone to do it. For Wendell, we have a good portion of the team on the project before it starts.
KG: Wendell is not an organization that has to do a play every semester.
R: What is one thing you would want to relate to Duke students before they come see the play?
TC: Bring an umbrella.
KG: Don’t actually bring an umbrella. We wouldn’t say a lot. We want to keep people guessing.
AY: Challenge yourself to step out of the circle.
Wendell Theater Company will perform A Steady Rain Sept. 22-24 at 8pm at Brody Theater on East Campus. Tickets are $5 for Duke students and $7 for the general public.
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