Meet Christina Fontana, playing the role of Eurydice in Polaroid Stories.

A senior Theatre major, Christina can do it all. This year at CSU, she was the scenic painter for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Stage Manager for “Oh, What A Lovely War,” an electrician for “The Alchemist,” and Puck’s ‘stunt double’ in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” She’s also had the opportunity to work as an electrician at Bas Bleu and the Lincoln Center. While she’s currently planning on pursuing a career in stage management, she’s thankful to CSU’s School of the Arts for teaching cross-discipline to students and for providing opportunities for students both on and off campus.

What have you done to prepare yourself for this role? How have you adapted to the double casting of this character? What difficulties have you faced as a result of the double casting? We’ve been given lots of material to start with — documentaries, websites, photos, music, etc. For my character, I researched different drugs to which she might be addicted, particularly those that cause amnesia, because Eurydice “drinks from the river of forgetfulness.” The director, the other actress and I concluded that Eurydice has begun a journey into the world of prostitution, so I’ve looked into more stories and documentaries about prostitutes. Our director and the male cast members (who aren’t double cast) have made the double-casting process very flexible; we’ve each been able to make our own character choices and developments. I imagine that it’s more difficult for our scene partners to adjust, because they do all of the same scenes with two different girls.

What have you enjoyed most about being in this production? I’ve enjoyed the character research that Polaroid Stories has demanded; not only is the cast researching these characters, but so is the crew. Our lighting design and projections designers, Meghan Gray and Ben Wasser, gave the cast sketchbooks to doodle in (as our characters would doodle) and will be including those in the show. It’s been and will be a really great collaboration from all sides.

What do you hope audience members will take away from this play? Looking into the world of this play has really opened my eyes to the desperation that street kids face, including drugs, cold, hunger, sexuality, and abuse. Polaroid Stories is a less traditional script than what most of the public is familiar with, mixing Greek mythology and the desolation of the streets. I hope that it’s an eye-opening experience for the audience as well.

Image: Christina Fontana in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Photo by John Eisele, Summer 2009.

Posted 03.29.10

Meet Megan Guidarelli, playing the role of Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

Megan Guidarelli is a Senior Theatre and Creative Writing double major. Megan has been involved in productions both main stage and student produced since her freshman year. Some favorites include: Leon and Joey, Marriage of Bette and Boo, The Beckett Project, Midsummer Nights Dream, Boston Marriage, and Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice. Megan is also involved in the local non-profit children’s theatre company Sandbox Stories. She is currently “co-T.A.- ing” an Introductory Performance class through the theatre program. When she graduates, if ever, she hopes to pursue an MFA in creative writing.

For audience members who have read the book or seen the movie, what will the live experience be like? What is so wonderful about the theatrical version of Cuckoo’s is the fact that as an audience member, the tension, the drama, becomes real. You feel the fear of these men, see their routine, what they go through, and you yourself loathe the Big Nurse.  In our version, we’ve put the audience in the ward. So not only is escape impossible for the patients; but for the audience as well.

What type of preparation have you done to portray your character? I researched nursing behavior/protocol of the 50s/ 60s and tried to institute a routine for Nurse Ratched. Every time she walks onstage, there is a specific order to how she operates, very regimented. When McMurphy comes and disrupts that routine, you realize just how high the stakes become and how determined she is to regain control.

What have you enjoyed most about being in this production? Nurse Ratched, to me, is the ultimate predator. Sly, intelligent, manipulative, passive aggressive, and self-righteous—oh yes, it has been wonderfully delicious playing a spider.  Rarely do people realize that the villains are the fun ones to play.

Meet Luke Karn playing the role of Patient, Dale Harding in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

Luke Karn is a senior theatre major at Colorado State University. Besides Cuckoo’s Nest, Luke has also appeared onstage at CSU in 33 Swoons, The Seagull, Eurydice, Six Characters In Search of An Author, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Alchemist. Luke is also a proud graduate of The Second City Training Center’s Comedy Studies program. After graduation, Luke hopes to gain employment with a theatre company in the United States or continue to work for Anheuser-Busch. Luke would like to thank his friends, his mentors, and especially his family for their continued love and support.

For audience members who have read the book or seen the movie, what will the live experience be like? For audiences who have already experienced the book and or the film, this play promises to be a more intense, prolonged, in-your-face look at the struggles of the mentally ill.

What type of preparation have you done to portray your character? As for preparation, I have developed ticks that I envision my character would do unknowingly in addition to practicing the speech and method in which my character talks to the other people around him.

What have you enjoyed most about being in this production? The thing that I have enjoyed the most is the report I have built up with the other inmates. I’ve definitely made some new friends.

Meet Luke Peckinpaugh, playing the role of Randal Patrick McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

Luke Peckinpaugh spent his first twenty years in Northern California, where he began his college education. He soon realized that he had no clue as to what he wanted to pursue. In 2004 Luke moved to Colorado and began working as a ranch hand, a line of work which he continues to follow. In 2008, Luke decided the time had come to return to college, and on a whim, entered the theater program at CSU, having no previous acting experience. Luke now feels very fortunate to be part of such a wonderful department, and is incredibly grateful to the staff and his fellow pupils for their instant embrace. To date, Luke’s theatrical performances include the roles of Rich in “The Distance From Here”, Theseus in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, Eddie in “Fool For Love”, as well as various scene work. Luke considers his role as McMurphy in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” to be his largest yet.

For audience members who have read the book or seen the movie, what will the live experience be like? The live performance of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” will be a blast, whether audience members have read the book, seen the movie, or neither. The cast and crew are top notch, as well as the direction of Laura Jones. The set is incredible, and will draw the audience into the world of the play before the characters even set foot on stage.

What type of preparation have you done to portray your character? I have drawn inspiration from several of my friends and acquaintances for the development of Randle P. McMurphy’s character. One such individual is a ferrier and a long time friend named Kelly Reins, who has a very unique manner of speaking. Kelly was informed of his contribution through a mutual friend, at which point he revealed a bit of shockingly coincidental information. As strange as it may be, Kelly is cousin to the late Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, the Novel.

What have you enjoyed most about being in this production? I have very much enjoyed the kinship between the cast and crew of this performance. Everyone is very supportive of one another, and I believe that this wonderful chemistry will be evident in the performance.