A Play A Day: 'Superglue' by Tim Crouch

To start off our a play a day week we were given a head start by receiving the play on Friday so we could read it over the weekend, and even though it was good to ease us into our first challenge and be able to go into Tuesday understanding the play more and leaving more time for blocking, but it felt like we were playing it safe and it wasn't as demanding and stressful as I expected it to be, and after reading the play and imagining how we would perform it, I would have thought a more static piece like this would be given to us on the morning of the show. However, the whole day was successful and everyone coped well under the pressure, and I was very proud of how I was able to follow my impulses and make quick character choices that I was able to stick to throughout the performance.

When I read the play for the first time, I thought it was very current and if we had more time to rehearse I would've done lots of research into different climate protest groups and if there have been any incidents like the one mentioned in Superglue. I really liked how simple it was and how even though the characters are meant to be elderly, the actors can be their own age and they don't have to change either physicality or voice to match the character's age. I really liked the setting and how everyone appeared one at a time bringing their own banner, which I felt was their equivalent to laying down flowers at the funeral, like their own version of mourning their friends death. I like the idea that for many of the group, it is a reunion after not seeing each other for a long period of time and they still hold grudges and have cemented friendships within them, especially between Tam and Lily. Tam is the only one who seems to understand what Lily is facing from the moment she sees her, whereas it takes the other characters a while to understand that she has dementia. It was also nice to see some tension between the characters when Joe arrives and it answers the audiences questions on why and how Maggie died. I really liked reading the play because I love performing a show with a message and it felt very empowering that these people are fighting for a greener planet that they won't see, but they're still fighting for their grandchildren to grow up in this world.

I liked how Carleigh cast this piece, since it was our first one and I personally didn't feel confident enough to discuss casting yet. I was cast as Hadley in the play, and after reading the play once more to understand more about my character, I knew how well cast this piece was. Hadley is a very strong willed, honest person who doesn't shy away from the truth and will stand up for what they believe in, and from their opening lines, it is right to say that they are uncomfortable being back with the group and the blame is partly pinned on them for not having the right equipment. I really liked getting to challenge myself with a new type of character as I normally play the victim or a child, so it was great to challenge myself by playing more of an aggressive but mature role, and everyone was so well cast in this piece.

I think our rehearsed reading of 'Superglue' went really well for our first play, and I really enjoyed putting it together in a short amount of time and choosing quick and impulsive decisions for my character. I really hope the next play we get is more physical and even though that will be stressful, I am excited to take on a new challenge!