The Hastings College fall play is “Abigail/1702,” which is the sequel to the “Crucible” and is a little different from previous plays HC has put on. 

The director of the play is Cooper Sivara and the technical director is Kathy Lorenzen. Sivara got his undergrad at UCLA and later went to Baylor University for the Director Program. He has been directing and acting for many years now and is in his third year at HC. 

When looking for an actor that best fits the role, Sivara said he looks for risk taking “so looking for people who are going to work outside their comfort zones, try new things.” 

He also said he looks for people that have a teamwork attitude, those who “not only want to further their work, but also connect well with other people and help them succeed as well.”

Around 30 people auditioned for the play, however, this play is only written for four actors who are double casted. So, if the majority of those who auditioned are not cast, what is their role in the play?

“The main character, Abigail, who the play is named after, it’s kind of all from her point of view, so we have characters that … remind Abigail of certain people,” Sivara said. This also explains why actors are doublecast: to show the connections between the different characters. 

The process of choosing “Abigail/1702” instead of a play with more roles for actors is to “give different types of opportunities to our students,” said Sivara. He mentioned that this play gives the department more of a chance to highlight the production and design side of things while also allowing students and actors to explore different roles. 

Aynsley Brink from La Vista, is playing the lead role of Abigail in the play. She said that while she enjoys working backstage, she enjoys “bringing a character to life as your version of the character.”

Brink never really did acting before coming to HC, but she has since fallen in love with it. 

“Shows are more than just the actors or characters. Without the tech side there wouldn’t be any costumes, props, lighting or set. And without that, you don’t have a show to act in. Every part to a show is important and necessary,” she said. 

Though this play is a little different from ones in the past, the emphasis on the technical side of things shows how important every aspect is.