The GovState Theater and Performance Studies Program is presenting “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark,” an exploration of the character Vera Stark, a Black woman building her career as an actress in 1900s Hollywood. The show is described by the actors as a mix of comedic, satirical, and serious all at once. Directed by Quenna Barrett, faculty member and artistic director of the theater program, the play will open in the second week of April.
The cast members have been attending rehearsals since February. Barrett begins rehearsal with exercises meant to increase the actors’ focus before they have to act. Dakota Keel, an actor in the play, believes that the rehearsals have been going well and the show is coming together. While the cast members did not have rehearsals over spring break, Keel says they plan to practice on their own time.
“By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” is often described as comedic and satirical. “The play is a comedy dated back in earlier 1900s. It’s fun, pretty witty, and characters are definitely full of themselves. We’re trying to do a really good job of portraying that,” Keel says, regarding the characters.
LaT’ya Johnson, a cast member, says that the show has her revisiting unpleasant memories that relate to its themes. “I think that some of the things Vera struggles with, in terms of fear, identity, and making a place in the world that feels like there is no place for you, I relate a lot to that.”
The show explores themes of racial barriers in the arts, specifically in Hollywood and film. “This is more or less a real story, Johnson said. “This has happened to people. We like to think that segregation and Black people in the arts, all those struggles were so long ago. But they aren’t.” Drawing on her own experiences, Johnson said that her friends often experience the same obstacles: “I’ve had friends come and tell me that people told them they were too big, too Black, too loud, to be whoever they needed to be for a part. The segregation, the shame, the exclusion of the other, is still happening today.”
As mentioned by many cast members, the play is also a comedy. Characters are dramatic and meant to be portrayed as “over the top.” Cylia Srmek explains that rehearsal is a collaborative effort between the actors and the director to find the best way to embody their roles. “It’s been kind of challenging to feel comfortable making big choices and allowing myself to be that larger than life kind of character.” She explains. To address this, Barrett tells her to attempt things, and they can see what works for the character.
Multiple cast members also play more than one role, having to interpret their characters and work on embodying different personalities, accents, and character. “It’s challenging because there’s twice the work to invest in the characters, to think about their wants and what they’re going for in each scene,” says Andy Mitchell-Gregory, a community member taking part in the production, who was made aware of the auditions through a Facebook group for South Suburbs theater.
Joshua Tisdale, who also plays two characters in the play, says that the play examines the struggle of being in theater, specifically from the perspective of a Black woman in a different time. “It’s a very important and telling story. I think it brings reality into the situation. I feel like we live in a world that is fantasied. This world is really hard and for the things that you really care about you really have to go for it. And I feel like Vera is someone who reflects that as someone who really wants this career, this job, but she has so many obstacles around her.”
“By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” explores themes of racial barriers in the arts, and the journey Vera Stark goes through to achieve her dream of being an actress. The show opens April 9, with shows at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m, with three more showings. Tickets are $15 for non-students, and $10 for students. The showings will take place in Sherman Hall, and the show is recommended for those that are 16 and up due to the sensitive topics that are explored.