N OT E WO R T H Y Sean Redahan, Sam Sarelli (lying down), Heather Bienstock (standing), Rashelle Ibrahim, Gallant Zhuangli, Quinn Murphy
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persona. During rehearsals, I struggled to differentiate Sharon’s poor soap acting from her routine hysterics. As a point of reference, Mr. Borowka suggested I watch the film Soapdish, directed by Michael Hoffman in 1991. This movie (absolutely hilarious!) tells the offstage stories of a daytime drama cast. Sally Field’s lead-role comedic choices definitely helped prepare me for my role as Sharon. For example, I learned how to specifically exaggerate facial expressions to enliven Sharon’s fake soap acting, in contrast to her otherwise “real” mannerisms. Every one of my Raw Footage co-stars tackled the difficult cast of characters with admirable zest. FA L L 2 0 1 6
Redahan mastered Christopher’s development as a filmmaker, progressing rapidly from naïve amateur to ruthless professional. Rashelle Ibrahim ’18 added immeasurable warmth to Cissy, Jamie’s pill-popping nurse, with goofy lines such as, “Mentally incompetent my pinky, I am fit to serve!” All the while, Sarelli played Jamie with commendable grace, perfectly unconscious on the center-stage couch for all of each performance. Raw Footage is an absurd story that resonates with the audience because it juxtaposes contrasting ideas such as the qualities of life and television. One considers: What is real? What is authentic or crafted about on-screen
programming? I think we did the script justice as, on show nights, our audience laughed at all the right moments. In addition, when the curtain fell, they asked all the right questions about the ethics of filmmaking, soap operas, and overcoming financial hardship. The cast and crew’s journey to show night was wonderful. On-stage, we played a conflict-ridden household, but off-stage, we bonded like a family. In December, we struggled with our roles, but with Mr. Borowka’s guidance, we grasped our characters and became a smooth-running ensemble by February’s end. So, here’s to Raw Footage—a tremendous cast and terrific show all around! —Gallant Zhuangli ’16 9