Loyola Theatre Arts & Dance Department will be performing CRITTERS from Nov. 13 through 22 at Marquette Theater, a Loyola-commissioned ensemble written by Loyola alum Emma Schillage, a queer Southern Gothic playwright based in New York and New Orleans. The play centers on a group of mammals and the challenges they must navigate amid the end of the world. Becoming human is the solution for some of the critters, but this decision causes their group to splinter. CRITTERS explores questions about the end of the world, the right path to take amid environmental chaos, and if the decision to become human means betraying the critters’ own nature.
“This show expresses ideas of belonging, friendship, and freedom,” said senior Kelsey Breaux, the assistant director of CRITTERS and a theatre arts and psychology double-major.
Sophomores Ime James, the understudy for Skunk and a theatre arts and mass communication double-major, and Valentina Russell, the understudy for Squirrel and an English major and theatre arts minor, shared their experiences in rehearsing for CRITTERS.
James described how the show is “unique and will make people see the world in a different light” and is a production that “makes you think and reflect on the community you surround yourself with.”
“I think it’s a great mix of comedy and heartfelt moments,” Russell said. “I have laughed so hard during rehearsals and cried as well during certain scenes.”
Director Helen Jaksch also shared her thoughts about the writing process of CRITTERS.
“CRITTERS was specifically written with our current TAD students in mind. It features deep relationships, complex questions about belonging, and the importance of holding onto your community amidst chaos and change,” she said. “We love how [Schillage writes] for young adult voices, how rigorous and thoughtful they are in their world-building, and how much they love mentorship as much as art-making.”
James described rehearsals as a new experience for her that “[made every day] more interesting.”
“I’ve never done a show where I’ve played an animal, so the movement rehearsals are much different than if it were a musical or a dance-heavy piece,” she said. “Because the characters are animals, there’s animalistic movement work that has to be done, which is something I never had to do in other shows.”
CRITTERS is Russell’s first mainstage production at Loyola.
“I have been in production or in New Works shows previously. Having experience with New Works shows gave me a little bit of a feel for what [CRITTERS] would be like,” she said. “Being the first ones to bring a script to life is electrifying, and every day you learn more and more about the characters, the world of the show, and yourself.”
CRITTERS’ production process has also been a learning experience for the crew and cast members.
“We center process, communication, and collaboration in our work, especially when working on a new play. There is no blueprint to follow because CRITTERS has never been done before, so the student-artists, the faculty, and the guest artists have to lean on, listen to, and learn from each other. That’s how the best theatre is made,” Jaksch said.
James and Russell shared what they gained from working on this production.
“I’m hoping that [CRITTERS] makes TAD students more open to working with new works and the rest of the student body more accepting of shows that aren’t necessarily considered the norm,” James said. “When I first heard of the show, I was intrigued on how we’d be able to connect with our animal characters, but as days go on, I realize that we have much more in common than I thought.”
“I hope everyone is inspired to write new plays; especially nowadays, it is of utmost importance to be creative and have fun,” Russel said.
CRITTERS gives TAD students the opportunity to learn and collaborate with others. It also serves as a gateway for inspiring students to create their own original works.
“We also believe in the capacity for our graduates to have meaningful creative careers when they leave Loyola. We hope, in part, by getting to work with a TAD Alum who is successful in the field on their new play, the students are inspired to continue creating their own work. And because theatre is so collaborative, the relationships the students build throughout this process will continue after CRITTERS is done,” Jaksch said.
Tickets can be purchased online on Loyola University New Orleans’ website. Information on showtimes is additionally listed.
