By Hannah Boulton
“Anatomy of Gray,” a play presented by the college’s Music and Theatre department, opened last weekend in Polsky Theatre.
Beate Pettigrew, “Anatomy of Gray” director and artistic coordinator for the Theatre department, said she chose the play because it is family-friendly.
Pettigrew describes the play as a coming-of-age story. “Anatomy of Gray” tells the story of June Muldoon, a 15-year-old girl growing up the small town of Gray, Indiana in the 1880s. After her father’s death, June prays for a healer. When Galen Gray blows into town in a hot air balloon, June thinks her prayer is answered. Soon June’s happiness turns to sorrow as her town’s residents are struck by a mysterious plague.
“It’s a play about loss and love and grief and mourning and recovery,” said Pettigrew. “It’s about all of those things, and [June] understands herself through this story.”
The script of “Anatomy of Gray” sets the play’s action in the 1800s. Pettigrew said she chose to narrow the setting to the 1880s because the script is playwright James Leonard, Jr.’s homage to the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980s. By narrowing the setting to the 1880s, Pettigrew said she hoped to spark a connection in audience members’ minds between the play’s fictional plague and the beginning of the HIV epidemic.
Student Teddy Trice plays Galen Gray. He said he read the script prior to auditioning and was moved by its themes of loss and healing.
“I read the script and I fell in love with all the characters,” Trice said. “It’s hard not to when it’s dealing with such amazing themes of love, loss and life.”
Amanda Beeler, student, plays Rebekah Muldoon. Beeler said she also fell in love with “Anatomy of Gray” when she read the script.
“I really enjoyed the … sweet, honest characters,” Beeler said.
Audiences at the Saturday, Nov. 12 matinee also enjoyed the play’s sweet characters and heartfelt themes.
Sheila Robins, audience member, came to Saturday’s performance to watch her daughter-in-law, Jessica Robins. Jessica plays Tiny Wingfield.
“I thought it was great; very funny, very well put together and very nice,” Sheila said of the performance.
Barb Cahill, audience member, came to the performance with group of residents from her assisted living facility.
Cahill said “Anatomy of Gray” “is basically about life … the stages that different people go through.” Cahill described the play as “absolutely fascinating.”
Teddy Trice said he hopes “Anatomy of Gray” audiences will be reminded of the old adage of not judging a book by its cover.
“I think when you can open your mind to different people and different ideas, you’re able to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, and you have a well-rounded view of life,” he said.
Beate Pettigrew said she hopes audiences will take away messages of acceptance and embracing the unknown.
“I think what interests me most [out of all the themes of “Anatomy of Grey”] is understanding … and accepting who you are and accepting others for who they are,” Pettigrew said. “That, to me, is the message that I wanted to get across to the audience.”
Contact Hannah Boulton, copy editor, at hboulton@stumail.jccc.edu.