Scattered among flyers for professors' talks and fraternity events, this week one may have noticed a small poster depicting a moon with the word "Perigean." That funny word is the title of a play written by Daisy Freund '08, which opens in the Moore Theater this Friday.
What, one may wonder, is a perigean?
"A perigee is when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit to Earth. Perigean is the effect that phenomenon has on ocean tides," Freund, who is also a member of The Dartmouth staff, said.
Freund's play does not focus on lunar phenomena however. In "Perigean," she explores the search for self, connections with family and the effect of coming home. Freund is also a member of the Dartmouth Mirror staff.
"The play is about a mother and daughter who painfully unearth some tender issues from their past," said Freund.
Anike Adekoya '08 plays Dana, the college student who has returned home for the summer after her freshman year. Adekoya was impressed by the depth to which the play explores a maternal relationship.
"In just a few pages it shows so much of what a mother can be to a daughter [and vice versa]. Sometimes [the mother] is very in control, other times it's Dana. Sometimes they are clearly in mother/daughter roles, other times they are just friends," she said.
"It explores what qualifies you to be a mother, the lengths some will go to become a mother and others will go to avoid it" Bonnie Hennessee '08, the play's stage manager and stage directions reader, added.
This Friday's performance will be a bench reading, meaning the cast will have stools and scripts and stage directions will be read aloud. While that may sound like a simple production to pull off, a lot of work still goes into perfecting the acting.
"It's demanding because [the play] is so tightly woven and complex. The notes need to be played just right for it to soar," Bud Simis '08, the play's director, said.
Meghan Wendland '08, who takes on the role as Lydia, the mother, stressed that the play comments on all human relationships -- not just those of mothers and daughters. "The characters are multidimensional. That's what makes it work for a broad audience. Anyone can relate, male or female."
"It is a selfish play and therefore it is a universal play. It's human," Simis said.
Simis discussed the tension the play presents between self and family. "Sometimes care for your family becomes secondary to care for your own identity. That's what this play is about."
Hennessee agreed. "People want an identity, a sense of belonging, an 'I am that or this.' That is what being a mother is for Lydia. Dana is still searching for her own place and identity," Hennessee said.
For this reason, Adekoya supports Freund's decision to make Dana a college student. "College in itself is about finding your place, your goals, your likes and dislikes. If the play was set [after Dana finished college] I don't know if it would be as poignant."
Dana's move to college affects Lydia as well, Freund said. "Dana still has a sense of dependence, and yet she is leaving her mother alone. During [Dana's] first year of college, Lydia has to assert herself as a mother."
Hennessee felt that she could relate well to this situation. "I've lived through this. As an only child of divorced parents, I left my mother alone when I came to college. There is an expectation that things won't be the same," she said.
Freund wrote the play in theater department professor Joe Sutton's Playwriting I class last fall. After a successful bench reading of the play by her classmates at the end of the term, Freund was encouraged to submit "Perigean" to the Frost and Dodd Student Playwriting Competition. The playwright was awarded an honorable mention this past spring.
As a result of the award, in the spring Freund was able to discuss her work with Montgomery Fellow Edward Albee, who has been heralded widely as one of the most important modern American playwrights.
"[Albee] gave me a lot of encouragement and advice [about the play] to help 'bring it home' [to the audience]," Freund said. "Feedback was really important throughout this whole process."
Freund and Simis cast the play at the beginning of the term. "After one read-through with the actors directly after casting, we sent the actors away to read, read, read [their scripts]," Simis said.
The cast began rehearsals Monday. Wendland noted her improvement since working with Adekoya, even after a only few hours of rehearsal. "It was difficult to work on alone, because I feed off [Adekoya's] actions," she said. After rehearsals began, she added, "I felt real progress."
Since Simis and Freund have worked together in Dartmouth theater productions in the past, he was the natural choice to direct the play. Simis often acts in productions at Dartmouth and abroad, but for Freund's play he was excited to practice his directing skills.
Freund and Simis are also good friends, so communication over the play's tone, style and nuances is easier to grasp for Simis than it would be for a randomly chosen director.
Hennessee believes Simis' closeness to the project inspires his actors. "Because he knows the playwright and has so much respect for the play and for acting, he pushes you to give it the respect it deserves," she said.
Freund has been barred from attending rehearsals to give Simis and the cast a chance to make the play their own. Still, said Adekoya, "It's intimidating because the playwright is there [for the performances] and the play is so great."
"You know a lot went into this play. It's the least we can do," added Hennessee.
From Freund's perspective, all praise goes to her cast and crew. "I am speechless with gratitude for everyone's effort in this. It's very cool that people will take the time to do it."
"Perigean" will run this Friday at 8 p.m. in the Moore Theater, quite the honorable location for a student production. Admission is free.
