“The trip hit me in different ways,” said Nate Calaranan ‘20, a musical theatre major. “There is this stereotype that as a man you have to hold in your emotions, but this trip gave me the chance to let it out, to cry. Standing at the fence, all I could think was ‘I get it.’ It made sense. My character made sense. My emotions made sense.”
Throughout the trip, Silkaitis challenged cast members to not just portray the emotions of the characters in “The Laramie Project,” but to experience them as well.
“I’m always impressed by North Central students, but I was blown away at this cast’s emotional maturity and dedication to a production and its history, which all took place before many of these students were even born,” said Silkaitis. “It’s that realization that truly resonates with you as a director. It makes the production come to life.”
The cast plans to bring the experiences and emotions they felt in Laramie to Naperville through the run of performances.
“The show has a solemn tone, but it isn’t unnecessarily sad,” said Jake Parsons ‘21, a musical theatre major. “We don’t want the audience to cry for three hours for no reason. We want the audience to leave inspired and thinking that they can make a difference.”
“There are all types of people represented in this production and the audience is bound to resonate with one or many,” said Upasna Barath ’19, an economics major. “These are real people and this production strips away the marginalized details and brings facts to the spotlight. Hopefully this show acts as the mirror people need to see, the mirror society needs to see.”
Whether or not North Central will have another anniversary performance in 10 years is still to be decided. While Silkaitis loves the powerful message of the production, she looks forward to the day the world doesn’t need “The Laramie Project” anymore.
“I plan to direct this play every 10 years until I don’t have to,” said Silkaitis.
For showtimes, tickets and more information, visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.