Theater CNU’s first show of the semester, Stepping Out, premiered on Sept. 29 in Peebles Theatre and ran from Sept. 29-30,October 1st, and October 4 with its final shows on October 5 and 6 (Thursday and Friday). The show follows a weekly adult tap dancing class in London, England and the different people who come to participate. The audience gets to watch the class grow in talent over the course of several months as well as form relationships with one another. The play was directed and choreographed by Professor Laura Lloyd and has given CNU Theater’s season a great start.
This great cast brings the play to life with a healthy balance of comedy and drama. Each character’s mannerisms and behavior is well thought out and you could see it on stage, even when there is no dialogue. Whether they are confident or extremely reserved, each actor used an arsenal of talent to show these characters in full. The audience immediately becomes drawn in and interested by all of their intricacies and backstories.
Whether it’s the neat freak Vera (played by Katie O’Shields) or the fun loving pair of Sylvia and Rose (Virginia Browning and Alexis Holland), the actors shine in their respective roles. You even genuinely forget that these actors aren’t average people in everyday London and that is absolute proof of this play’s ability to draw you in. You’ll laugh at the grumpy pianist Mrs. Fraser (Sara Delaney Moore) as much as you’ll feel heartache for Andy (Olivia Hargest). This was such an impressive ensemble and it’s almost impossible to believe it only took them six weeks to rehearse the show.
The tap dancing itself is also fantastic. Even with no knowledge of what tap dancing is, you can’t help but be enchanted by the dancing, even when it’s showing these characters as amateurs. Credit must also be given to the incredible technical aspects of the show, such as the set, the lighting, the sound and the costumes in this incredibly well put together show.
TheaterCNU’s next show, Dr. Frankenstein, will run from Nov. 10 to Nov. 19. You can learn more about TheaterCNU’s shows via the CNU website and the department’s Instagram @theatercnu. A reminder that all TheaterCNU Shows are free for students, $8 for CNU staff, and $12 for general admission.
Photos of the cast from TheaterCNU’s Instagram
