Miriam Loya, Jamie Rule and Baylee Holloran all sat around a table at Java City looking tired but determined. In the midst of tech week for their show, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, they had taken the time to discuss the production that the rest of the cast and crew and they have been working on since the very first week of school. Despite the long nights of rehearsals followed by even longer nights of catching up with school work, the actors had unwavering enthusiasm when speaking on the show that they had a hand in bringing to life.
Dead Man’s Cell Phone centers on Jean, played by Holloran, a customer in a café, who picks up and answers the phone of a man who has quietly died while sipping his coffee. Jean continues to answer the man’s calls and begins piecing his life together, even attending the stranger's funeral.
“It has an overlying theme of how loss affects different people and the effects of technology and how it controls our lives.” said Loya, who plays Hermia.
Yet despite its description Dead Man’s Cell Phone is, in fact, a comedy. It may be a very dark comedy that deals with very depressing themes, but it’s a comedy nonetheless. The actors agreed that the show is laugh out loud funny and the rehearsals were as well.
“Every rehearsal is funny because we have a funny cast.” Said Loya.
A sense of humor is an important thing to have when the rehearsal process is so rigorous. For Dead Man’s Cell Phone the main goal of the rehearsal process was doing intense character work. Jamie Rule is one of the actors who plays ‘the other woman,’ a larger than life character that pushes boundaries.
“With most characters there is a line. You take it to that line, and you stop.” Said Rule. “With ‘the other woman,’ the way we are playing it, there is no line. You can’t go too far with her, it’s been a challenge.”
As far as the audiences’ reception of the show, the actors are fairly confident that they won’t know exactly what they are walking into, and that's just how they want it. A relatively unknown show with a dark sense of humor and themes that hit close to home may not be what folks are expecting, but the actors are hoping it will be an entertaining evening.
“While they are sitting in the audience I want them to think ‘holy shit that’s really funny, but should I be laughing at this? It’s kind of messed up.” Joked Loya.
“ I hope they laugh,” said Holloran, who isplaying Jean, “I hope they walk into the audience expecting one thing and getting something totally different. We have all worked so hard for this show. We have all put in a lot of time and tears and blood for this.”
Dead Man’s Cell Phone runs September 24 through October 4. Evening performances begin at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 3:00 p.m. For ticketing information and to reserve your ticket visit boxoffice@longwood.edu
