2012 has been a busy year for Bellevue College drama, with the recent successful performances of “Getting Out,” “DIRECTions,” “The Foreigner,” “Shadow Box” and “Spring Awakening.” The drama department continues to chug along the railroad full speed, preparing for their new production “A…My Name will always be Alice.”
Maddie Dugan is a full time theater student at Bellevue College, and is pursuing a transfer degree in arts and sciences with a concentration in theater arts. She participated in the Stage Fright student drama club as their president, and will be the production manager of student directed and written works this year.
Dugan will be playing multiple parts in a variety of songs in “A…My name will always be Alice.”
The first part of this musical revue trilogy “A…My name is Alice,” was conceived by Joan Mickler Silver and Julianne Boyd, and made its theatrical debut in 1983.
The production centers on a five-member cast of women of different ages and types in a wide variety of situations and relationships with insight, empathy and self-deprecating humor.
Dugan’s outgoing personality typically gets her cast in over the top, animated roles, but she expressed that she likes to be challenged as an actress and get cast in parts that don’t come as naturally to her.
Dugan’s preparation process undergoes a unique and self-dependent method. Although she does a lot of research based on the time period, location and age of her character, as well as other details, she “do[es] not like to look at how others have played [my] character. I like to interpret the character for myself and make it my own. If I copied what someone else does, than there isn’t room for critical thought and thinking behind the character’s intentions.”
Maddie Dugan emphasized her dedication to the integrity of her character. “If you don’t look like you are having fun on stage, your audience won’t” she said. “Your character must truly believe everything they are saying and doing.”
Taking on the task of directing Bellevue College’s interpretation of this production is Tammis Doyle, the department chair of the drama faculty on campus. Professionalism is an important part to Doyle’s direction, because she “stays true to how the playwright intended the play to be performed, but at the same time puts a creative twist on things,” says Dugan.
Dugan attributes a huge part of the show’s success to the production’s tech team, who without their dedication would leave “[the actors] as naked people on a dark floor who you can’t hear.” Students give up a huge portion of time to build sets, make costumes, hang lights and edit sound. “[I hope that] they know how much the actors at BC really appreciate all the work they do.”
The actors, teachers, directors and crew have all found time to create strong bonds and friendships during rehearsals. Everyone is responsible for supporting one another in order to create the best product for the audience.
Drama students will draw the curtains for show time from August 2-5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stop Gap studio theatre. Tickets will be on sale for $10 for students and $12 for other guests. Additional information about “A…My Name will always be Alice” can be reached at (425) 564-3114.