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February 12, 2010
Arts
Page 5 \
Howie, played by
Jefferson Fergu-
son, argues with
his wife, Becca.
Photo by HEATHER
LEI PH ART Staff
Photographer
HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer
Jason, played by Michael Siemek, upsets Becca, played by Rachel Propst, when talking about the high school prom her son will never be able to attend.
Alan Cherry
Contributing Reporter
The rabbit hole runs deep for the cast members of ACU’s winter produc-
tion.
ACU’s production of Rabbit Hole, a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by
David Lindsay-Abaire, opens Feb. 11 in Culp Theatre in the Wilhams
Performing Arts Center. The play showcases a cast of only five members,
with Jefferson Ferguson, sophomore theatre major from Houston, and
Rachel Propst, senior musical theatre major from Denver, Colo., playing
the lead couple.
“It’s hard to describe without sounding depressing,” Ferguson said.
“[Rabbit Hole] is about the daily life of the Corbett family after the death of
their 4-year-old son.”
The play deals with challenging themes of grief and loss and explores
how each of the characters deals with the situation, Propst said. The pro-
duction has made the actors “really think,” she said.
“It challenges you to think how much you really hold on to the lost one,”
Propst said.
The play has been in production since the first day of the semester,
starting with more than a week of “table work,” during which the cast
discussed the dark nature of the play and the intricacies of the script. Much
like they did for the 2007 production of A Streetcar Named Desire, the
directors and cast of Rabbit Hole devoted a significant amount of time to
specifically working through the background and themes of the show.
“The week of table work was helpful for a show so rich in subtext and
emotion,” said Emily Rankin, junior theatre major from Abilene and the as-
sistant director of the show.
Despite the production’s serious nature or perhaps because of it, Fergu-
son said, the small cast has enjoyed getting to know one another and be a
part of such a well-written, highly acclaimed show.
“It’s a very challenging, wonderful story,” Propst said. “I love it.”
The show will run Feb. 11-13 and 18-20, with shows at 7:30 p.m. each
evening. A talk-back session with actors, director, designers and drama-
turges will be held Friday, immediately following the performance.
contact Cherry at
optimist@jmcnetwork.com
Right The set of Rabbit Hole has been under construction
since the beginning of the year and features a fully func-
tional kitchen.
Below: Izzie, played by Laura Wetsel, argues with Howie
after she accuses him of cheating on his wife.
Photos by HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer
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