Christina
Rohling (Amy Saunders)
Character
description:
“Amy is the youngest of two sisters and the one who has
the more contentious relationship with her mother. She feels like
she has messed up everything in her life and just isn't able to understand her
mother or to feel that she has made her mother proud.”
What is it like to
interact with some famous book characters on stage?
“It is fun to see how Ellen has made the literary girls
come to life. Several of their lines are directly from the books,
and I think she has done a wonderful job of capturing their essence in her
characters. Of course, the actresses playing them are doing a
wonderful job of bringing them to life!”
Preparing for role:
“The thing I have enjoyed the most in preparing for the
show is that I discover something new each time it is read or while working in
rehearsals. It has been fun to go back to an earlier scene and
discover a thread that connects it to something later in the show.”
How does it feel to
be in the world premiere of Recommended
Reading for Girls?
“I am very honored to be a part of such a strong cast and
I am grateful to Amy Lane and Ellen Struve for their collaborative spirit and
for allowing me to play Amy. This is a very different process than
other shows where the script is final. With RRFG, there are daily
tweaks to the script, so it keeps all of us on our toes.”
Shannon Jackson (Penny Parker)
Who is Penny Parker?
“Penny is
smart, adventurous, clever and of all the literary girls in this play she's
definitely the most self-possessed and sassy. Everyone else—Heidi, Sara
Crewe, Anne Shirley—seems
to come into this family's life to help with chores, Penny comes to solve the
mystery and save the day!”
Inspiration for Penny:
“I'm reading her books and
looking into her and other kid detective stories such as Nancy Drew, Hardy
Boys, etc. This genre used to be HUGE, there's a lot of stuff out there. “
How does it feel to be in the world premiere of Recommended Reading for Girls?
“I adore it. I'm so glad to be
able to bring this funny and touching play to an audience that literally has no
idea what's going to happen. I also love how well this play stands on its own.”
Who is Sara Crewe?
“Sara is the famous
character from the children's novel A
Little Princess. She is incredibly insightful, charming and a kind person
who, more than anything, is a wonderful storyteller.”
Inspiration for Sara: “It is tricky playing a character
that so many people have envisioned in their heads. Almost all of my
inspiration comes from A Little Princess,
the script of Recommended Reading for
Girls and my own life experiences.”
How does it feel to be in the world premiere of Recommended
Reading for Girls? “Holy Moly! I'm so excited. I have been with this play since one of the very first read throughs, and it has been so amazingly wonderful to experience all the changes and shifts. It's like watching this teenager grow out of the awkward years and become this full-blown, amazing adult.”
Mika
Caplan (Heidi)
Who is Heidi?
“Heidi is a 10-year-old Swiss girl who loves goats and
playing on her beloved mountain.”
Inspiration for
Heidi:
“I’m mainly using the book as my inspiration for Heidi. Some of my inspiration comes from little
girls I know that remind me of Heidi.”
How does it feel to
be in the world premiere of Recommended
Reading for Girls?
“I think that it’s amazing that we can rehearse and have the
playwright watching us and even change a few things once in a while. Opening
night will probably be very exciting for all of us!”
Who is Anne Shirley?
“Anne is very dramatic and
has a wild imagination. She is often caught daydreaming or forgetting what she
is suppose to be doing because she allows her mind to wander into all sorts of
stories. It is easy to misjudge Anne as too sweet and simple, but she is as
sharp as a whip and has quite a hot temper.”
Inspiration for Anne: “I
read the book Anne of Green Gables
before we started rehearsal, so I am using that as inspiration. I also draw
from other young girls. I am an older sister, so I draw some inspiration from
remembering what my little sister was like at 13 or 14.”
How does it feel to
be in the world premiere of Recommended
Reading for Girls
“Amazing! This is such an
incredible cast, lead by a wonderful director, working on a beautifully written
play. Each night of rehearsal I get more and more excited to share this story
with Omaha and the world. It really is a play for all audiences. Everyone can
find something about this story that really hits home for them; it's not just
for girls!”
Come meet the rest of the cast and enjoy this wonderful production that
is perfect for the whole family! Don’t miss the world premiere in the Howard
Drew Theatre, May 3, through June 2, 2013; Thursday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday, 2 p.m.
Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. For groups of 12 or
more, tickets are $23 for adults and $15 for students. To purchase tickets, or
for more information, call (402) 553-0800, visit the OCP Box Office or click here.
