Theatre Fairfield's entirely student-run production of Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr was recently named Best Streaming Play (Non-Professional) in the 2021 Regional Awards.
This award is a great testament to the excellence of Fairfield's theatre students.
— Martha S. LoMonaco, PhD, professor of theatre and American Studies
Theatre Fairfield's Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr, which was performed live and presented virtually last January, recently won Best Streaming Play (Non-Professional) in .
“This award is a great testament to the excellence of Fairfield's theatre students,” said theatre program director Martha S. LoMonaco, PhD, professor of theatre and of American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“Theatre during the height of the pandemic had to be reinvented so that it could be done safely and securely while maintaining full artistic integrity,” Dr. LoMonaco continued. “Not an easy task, but our terrific students were up to the challenge and made it happen.”
Woman and Scarecrow was Theatre Fairfield's annual Independent Project, which is sponsored by the Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation (JHAF). Each year, advanced theatre students have the opportunity to apply for a grant from the JHAF to produce an entirely student-run production at the start of the spring semester. Upon approval from both the theatre faculty and the JHAF board of directors, students apply classroom and past production techniques to produce a full theatre piece on their own.
The award-winning production featured Tracy Ferguson ’22, Kierstin Jones ’21, Kiersten Bjork ’21, and guest artist Liam Bray. It was directed by Park Lytle ’21, now a full-time intern at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Fla., with costume design by Julianna Gentile ’22. The play was co-produced by Park Lytle ’21 and Kierstin Jones '21.
The creative and production teams, as well as the actors, were scattered across the country. Lytle used a new theatre tool, OBS Software, to meld the Zoom-based performances together “into a mellifluous, exciting, edgy piece of theatre,” which was livestreamed for four performances.
“This show literally occurred across the United States during [last year’s] winter break,” Dr. LoMonaco explained. It was an astonishing achievement that well deserves this honor. I'm so proud of them all!”
Woman and Scarecrow, by the award-winning Irish playwright Marina Carr, is a piece for the stage about a woman, whose stained past has made her bitter at the world, as she lies patiently on her deathbed. It’s a Faustian tale enriched with Carr's poetic dialogue and gothic atmosphere.
“[This production] was, from the beginning, a work of passion and creative freedom,” said Lytle, who was an economics major and theatre minor while at Fairfield. “We sought to make the most unique show we could, given the barriers and technology, and I believe this award reflects that.”
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