FIU Theatre presents fall play, ‘Sleeping Beauty’

Daniel Uria/Staff Writer 

As students find themselves in the thick of the fall semester one thing rests on all of their minds: sleep. The FIU theatre department plays off of this theme with their second main stage production of the year, “Sleeping Beauty.”

While the story of “Sleeping Beauty” is a well-known one, the production put on by guest director Margaret Ledford is not quite the same as the Disney film the audience may remember. One significant difference is the sense of remorse in senior Rachel Rodriguez’s portrayal of the present version of Fairy Goody.

“You see the humanity in everybody,” said Rodriguez, “And how mistakes affect others, even if you want to take them back.”

Junior Caiti Wiggins, who plays Beauty, enjoyed the depth presented by this interpretation.

“That’s what I was most excited for,” she said, “To dig through and find what those layers were for everyone and then see how they come together.”

Another oddity of this play is Ledford’s presence as a guest director. Originally hailing from Tennessee and touting several directorial awards as well as the title of South Florida Theatre League President, her presence was greatly appreciated by the cast.

“It’s really cool to have a guest director come in here, because we work with the faculty everyday and we know how they work and that’s great,” said Wiggins. “But it’s cool to get that educational side of things and also get a bit of that real world experience. In the sense that you’re going to meet your director on the first day and then you’re with them for that process and they’re gone.”

As opening night approaches, the cast is most excited for the chance to perform in front of a fresh audience.

“I’m really excited for them being able to laugh at what happens,” explained Rodriguez. “All the little jokes and bits that we’re working on, and then to be able to mourn with these characters as well.”

Wiggins is most excited about the play’s appeal to various age groups.

“This show is so cool because it has jokes that kids are going to laugh at, but it also has different dynamics that the parents are going to get too,” she said.

Zack Myers, a junior who portrays the Ogre, found that expressing this kind of humor was his favorite part of this production.

“It’s been a lot of fun to work on this show,” he began. “We don’t get to do these comedies very often in our department.”

Although her character is a magical fairy, Rodriguez believes the true magic comes from working with her fellow cast members.

“I’m still going with that same excitement [from being cast], to be working with classmates and just being able to create this little bit of magic for the stage,” she said.

“It’s a rollercoaster,” Myers said of the play. “I hope that the audience can just accept the rollercoaster for what it is and take that ride with us because it’s so much fun.”

“Sleeping Beauty” opens Friday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center. Student tickets cost $10 and can be found on the Wertheim Performing Arts Center website along with additional information and showtimes.

daniel.uria@fiusm.com 

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