"...but the best piece of advice I can give from watching everything is just to have patience. It can sometimes get a little frustrating and a little annoying, but try to think about that we're still getting the opportunity to perform. It's different, and it's unorthodox, but it's an opportunity to produce art and do what we love." -Alec Lacher, "Bellboy"
Rowan University's student-developed theatre company, Lab Theatre, is just about to kick off the 2020-2021 season! Our fall play, No Exit, is being directed by senior theatre major and Spanish minor, Delaney Molnar. [she/her/hers] (Concentrations in MT & Acting). No Exit is the story of three damned souls, Vincent Cradeau, Inèz Serrano, and Estelle Delaunay, who are brought to the same room in Hell and locked inside by a mysterious bellboy. Here to talk about this production are the cast themselves!
If you want to hear more about the relationship between No Exit's story and COVID-19, what its been like to take on these characters, how our department's curriculum ended up preparing an actor to take on this Zoom production, and advice for people tackling performances right now, keep on reading!
Starring...
Kirk Slingluff [he/him/his] as Vincent Cradeau
-junior theatre major with concentrations in theatre education, acting, and musical theatre with a history minor
Danielle Stefanick [she/her/hers] as Inèz Serrano
-sophomore theatre major with a concentration in acting
Val Calderone [she/her/hers] as Estelle Delaunay
-freshman theatre major with a concentration in acting
Alec Lacher [he/him/his] as Bellboy
-freshman theatre major with concentrations in musical theatre and theatre education
Can you speak on your experience with this rehearsal process and how it challenged you with changes due to the pandemic?
Danielle: "So basically the process has been very eventful, to say the least. We started in person with masks and social distancing, so that was already a challenge. Not being able to physically contact your partner even though certain moments called for a kiss here or blocking that was more intimate than what we were actually able to do in the moment. Then, when we moved onto Zoom, I think that was the hardest part because all contact was gone. You couldn't make eye contact, you were starring at a computer screen the whole time... it was very difficult. It's harder with delays from Zoom because I can hear certain lines from people in the practice rooms not coming from my computer yet."
There is something you said that I would love to talk more about, which is building the trust of your fellow actors and director when the production went online as a safety precaution. What was it like to do this after the Zoom transition?
Val: "I think it's really good we got to start out with in-person rehearsals, and we got pretty close to the in-person show! I think we were like a week and a half away. We had the whole show blocked and we were ready to do it in person with masks, but I think transitioning to Zoom, having that foundation already was beneficial because I knew how I was supposed to be feeling with the person near me. (Even though now they're on a screen.) -but we still had that first human interaction."
Kirk: "Being in person first allowed us to grow as a cast family, and going virtual we were already open enough that we were able to experiment over this different platform."
This year I have been talking to other artists about navigating art "in the box" (Zoom), and there was something sticking out to me reading your play. Do you feel the story of this show now relates to the current state of our nation in regards to the pandemic?
Alec: "I feel like it doesn't add to it, but you get the same kind of feeling. When the lockdown and quarantine started you were locked in and stuck with a group of people. Once you're with the group of people for a while, things can get a little tense and a little crazy sometimes. I just think it's interesting how this play can now reflect that because we have these three characters who are now stuck together in Hell for maybe the rest of their lives, or afterlives, and seeing how quickly things shift between the three of them... I think it's really cool."
I would love to go off of what you said about these characters and go into a little bit about any ways you identify with them? Any ways the character challenged you?
Danielle: "I think I relate to my character a LOT. My character is more on the bitchy side and she's very sarcastic. We have the same sense of humor and we like to get underneath people's skin. Kirk has learned a lot about that since Kirk and I do live together in the same house! I think he's able to see that my character and I do line up in more ways than originally thought."
Kirk: "From my perspective at least, we're going to a show that's written in the 1940s, originally written in French, and now being transcribed into English, so you're coming in with some language that's out and some characters that are in situations that don't relate to you in our current situation of life. For example, my character was an asshole, he was married, he was going into WWII... things I would never be able to relate to. It was hard at first trying to figure out, "What is my emotional connection to the piece?" I took a lot of reading through Declan Donnellan's "The Actor and the Target" and that book especially is SO useful now over Zoom. Like I'm in a room by myself, I have to imagine looking at someone, and that's exactly what Donnellan talks about. -just seeing the scenario, instead of actually seeing the actor, you're thinking of this scenario while talking.
(Note: Kirk read this book pre-covid at Rowan in Introduction to Acting with Ross Beschler.)
Taking it a little less deep and to a lighter question, is there a moment in No Exit which struck you from rehearsals?"
Val: "There's a part in the show where *SPOILER* I have to stab Inèz and that's kind of something that could really only happen in person. Like, "How??" -but we still do it over Zoom! I just think that's really cool because she reacts to it and I still do it. It's different, but it's cool."
Was there something in particular appealing to you from the plot going into auditions?
Kirk: "I really enjoy the use of the room as a fifth character, in my opinion, in the piece. We talk about each of us pulling from each other; Danielle pulls at my weaknesses while Val pulls at my strengths almost. Jean-Paul Satre wrote it so the room is bland and for a reason. -and what is placed in the room is placed on purpose. (Kirk went on to tell me about each character's weaknesses, but you'll have to see the play to find out what they are!) ...I feel having the room as another character is such an interesting concept and that's what I really enjoyed about the piece."
Do you find Rowan Lab Theatre productions are different than the past theatre experiences you have had in any way?
Val: "In high school, I would only do shows directed by the teacher and I really like having Delaney, as a senior, as our director! She's a student too so she can relate a lot to us and "gets it". She's like one of us, yaknow?"
Danielle: "I think time is also a big thing that's different with Lab than a mainstage. Going into this we thought we had one month, so we were cramming for the entire month. When things happened and we ended up getting a second month, it was this weird feeling of, "Okay, now what?" We also had to reblock the show, but that only took 2-3 days."
Speaking of how you had to reblock on Zoom, I know it can sometimes be tough to go through a rehearsal process right now. How did you feel working through this? From your experience of rewards and challenges, can you offer any advice for anyone tackling the same?
Alec: "Because my character is only in it for the first 15 pages or so and then I'm not really in it for the rest of the play, I've been able to watch all of the blocking and everything happen. Seeing Delaney, Val, Kirk, and Danielle all working together reblocking was so interesting. It was a lot at times and I could tell from everyone, but the best piece of advice I can give from watching everything is just to have patience. It can sometimes get a little frustrating and a little annoying, but try to think about that we're still getting the opportunity to perform. It's different, and it's unorthodox, but it's an opportunity to produce art and do what we love."
Val: "At the beginning, going on to Zoom, it was a little frustrating. Sometimes we have to look at the camera, other times we have to look at the wall right next to us pretending we're talking to people. It's hard without seeing their reactions. I feel like I'm such a person during shows who feeds off of people's energy, the other people in my cast, and the audience, and there's kind of a loss of that on Zoom. It's easy for it to feel very bland and like there's no one else with you, but I feel like we've all gotten over that and grown with each other. We still do have that emotional connection with each other even though we're all on Zoom; I still feel like we do a very good job of getting that emotion across."
Danielle: "A big piece of advice when doing a show on Zoom, I would say, is take care of yourself. I've learned a lot in the past week and a half not taking care of myself properly. I deal with chronic migraines so being in Zoom classes and Zoom rehearsals for another three hours, it's a lot on your brain. Just make sure to actually drink water, take medicine... don't burn yourself out too quickly because the last two weeks are Hell." *no pun intended*
Big question and final question: Why should audiences view your play, No Exit"?
Danielle: "I think with how well it ties into what we are dealing with currently, that would be a VERY big reason to come see this show. As we said earlier, being stuck in a room with people, we're all relating to right now. It's very stressful, but being able to go see a show where it points out some of the humor in it, (because it's not an all serious play- there are comedic times and moments in this show) I think it's a good time to relax and understand that in quarantine and being stuck with everybody, there is an end to it."
Care to join the room? To see No Exit and receive its streaming link when it comes out, follow @rowanlabtheatre on Instagram and like us on Facebook! Tickets are free with a suggested is a donation of $5 to help support this production and future ones.
Become a member on the site for weekly emails letting you know when the next blog post is out.
See you next Monday!!
Erica Gerold
Musical Theatre & Public Relations '23
(Left) Director of No Exit, senior theatre major Delaney Molnar.
Comments