Character Study

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Anonymous by Allison Green is the story of every teenager: trying to fit in, trying to belong, trying to fall in love. It’s hard to be an individual when you’re trying to survive. We all have our stories. “New and old, complete and untold.” Anonymous is a story of every teenager: the new kid trying to fit in, the best friends, the love interests, the kid in the corner with their secret, the group of individuals each trying to belong. The teenagers of Anonymous have no names because they are “Me” and “You.” They are everyone. Why did we publish this play? When you write an issue play it’s easy to become trapped beneath the issue. It’s easy to let the issue overwhelm the play. Audiences don’t want to be overwhelmed. Yes, they want to learn something about the issue. But they also want to be engaged. Anonymous is a play that does just that. The issue here is something every high school student goes through: the feeling of being alone, anonymous to the point that their name doesn’t even matter. There are few things more difficult than standing out as an individual in high school, or fearing that if you told your secret you’d be shunned. Anonymous engages an audience with this issue. The characters are trying to work the issue out, they are not overwhelmed. They struggle, yes. But they also fight. That’s what an audience needs to see. This is a play that shows hope at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t lay out a “happiness for all” ending, but it does provide a light. For some students that’s all they need. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to capture the feeling of the isolated/anonymous feeling that teenagers feel as they struggle to connect with others. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Identity. Artistic Expression. Finding out who you are. 3 What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Riding a teeter totter. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Allow the student actors to find their own sense of anonymity. How can they all be the same (colour, mask etc) with their own individual style. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Students can find their own voices. The student who is searching to connect. Hates gym class. Struggles to express themselves. Remembers kindergarten embarrassments. Loves a kid in their class. Finds it hard to talk to the guidance counselor. This play is about about every teenager. It’s about Me and You.

Emotional Baggage. We all have it but how do we deal with it? The characters within this one-act dramedy by Lindsay Price carry theirs with them at all times. They convey their stories and struggles solely through actions and gestures. That’s right – this play has no words! Because of this, the play relies heavily upon the characters’ gestures and music to take the place of dialogue and convey the story. Jennifer Denty and her student group of performers at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet, Newfoundland were not only up to the challenge but surpassed it with an award-winning performance. “My drama team from Northern Lights Academy just finished the High School Labrador Regional Drama Festival and we took second place! We also won best music (we used 30% from the script and added our own), best staging, and best director. Plus, one of my students (he played Overbearing Mother) won for physical comedy and my student who played Well Rounded Person won an acting merit award.” Congratulations, Northern Lights Academy! *Photo credit: Jennifer Denty