When we first decided to perform Ragtime at Duke, I spent a lot of time reading the reviews and criticisms of the professional Broadway performances that preceded us. They were never entirely good or entirely bad, but usually reflected the complex nature of the show itself. They found it problematic. When I was later cast […]
WHAT!!??!?!?!!!! Did that just happen? Did we in fact put on the biggest and best show that Duke has ever seen? The weird thing is I’m not sad about it all being done. I mean I loved the process and those involved and everything, it’s just that it doesn’t feel done, you know? When I […]
I feel truly lucky to have been a part of this show. It is by all means and measures the largest production I have ever been part of. I also felt honored to work with and perform alongside so many talented people. Each time I walked into Reynolds, I would take an extra minute to […]
Ragtime was certainly a stellar success. I think we all agree that we were a part of a performative product that we can be proud of. However, I want to question whether we should be equally proud of the process that got us there. This post is meant to be a specifically critical one. I […]
Up until a few days ago, I was humming a song from Ragtime almost every waking second of the day (and probably in my sleep as well). But now, suddenly having found 15 extra hours in my week just in time for finals, I’m left with this sense that what we did was just so […]
The end of our production of Ragtime also signifies the end of my theater career at Duke. Coming to Duke my freshman year, I was not a theater person, let alone a musical theater person. But somehow, here I am, 10 shows later, talking about what I’ve learned from the whole process. Ragtime has been a show that truly challenged me as a […]
Most of us involved in Ragtime this year, both cast and crew, are not new to musical theatre. We all know that show after show, your current show is often your new favorite musical. For me, that is again the case with Ragtime, but my affection for this show feels so different from my love for […]
So I just went to see the show Friday night, and there are simply so few words that can use to describe how incredible the show was. I was stunned by the depth and and realism of the time period that was so artfully portrayed by each and every actor and actress, and I fully […]
I was making my usual rounds downtown, when I come across a man making incredible silhouettes. He is feisty, and I like that. He wants none of my politics, and while I believe him to be a fool, I respect his convictions. A few months later I see him again, still making his silhouettes. His […]
A quick story of where each of my characters is at his or her appearance in the show: Graziella Paula DiCampagna came July 7, 1906 with her daughter Isabella and brother-in-law Giacomo to meet her husband Giovanni that she hadn’t seen for three years. A small piece of paper in her tattered shawl has been […]