By Ari’ Browley
Theater has a way of reflecting our society by blending dark and humorous elements of reality to captivate its audience. The upcoming production, “Continuity,” aims to do exactly that as it is showcased for the first time this week.
On April 9, “Continuity” will premiere at Grand Rapids Community College’s Spectrum Theater at 7:30 p.m. The play will continue to take the main stage for the following days, April 10 and April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the same location.
The show, written by Bess Wohl, explores themes of art and science, highlighting the pressures behind creating a Hollywood production amongst the demands of a larger, chaotic world.
Keira Zittel, a 20-year-old GRCC student from Grand Rapids, plays the main character on the show, Maria, who’s an independent film director. Zittel finds that her relatability to the role helps her bring the character to life. “I have goals of being a director someday, so her aspirations and ambitions are something I very much relate to, and that helps me a lot on stage,” Zittel said.
Anticipating opening night, Zittel looks forward to the audience’s reactions. “Just hearing feedback and hearing the laughter, I feel like it really gives you the energy as an actor when you have people in the room responding to your performance.”
Zittel brings the spotlight back to her castmates, mentioning them as her favorite part of the production’s process. “This is a bigger cast than I’ve worked with in quite a while. So it’s just been awesome to have as many people as we’ve had. I really love everybody who’s a part of this play,” Zittel said.
Another lead actor, Kayden Bravata, plays David, a writer. Bravata quickly found himself studying his character to prepare for the show. “The most interesting part about my role in the show is diving into the character dynamics I have with each of the characters, and how our dynamic changes over just the course of a day,” Bravata said.
Unlike Zittel, Bravata does not relate to his role, but it doesn’t stop him from understanding the character’s lifestyle and mindset.
“David’s obviously a very different person from me. I mean, he is much older. He’s a writer, very acclaimed in Hollywood,” Bravata explained. “It’s been diving into ‘what reality does this guy live in?’ ‘What’s his life?’ ‘What’s his experience?’ What drives him and his motivations, and how that changes over the course of the show.”
Behind the scenes, other members of the crew are essential to producing the play.
Benjamin Dixon, a 19-year-old GRCC student from Sparta, is the assistant stage manager. He described his experience working on the show. “Everything has been joyful. I love the cast, I love the crew, I love just everything about it,” Dixon said. “It’s a very compelling story that people can enjoy and engage in.”
Shoshanah Hilliker, 20-year-old GRCC student from Allendale, is a lightboard technician for the play. They give insight on what their role provides to the play. “Everything else is already working, but the lights are kind of the final piece to bring it together. You have the set, you have the actors, you have the view, and now you have the lights that cue this is the end of your scene,” Hilliker explained.
The crew reveals some elements of the show for the audience to expect.
Ren Hambelton, a 19-year-old GRCC student from Cedar Springs, plays an assistant director. Hambelton gives discretion about the profanity used in the play. “I know my family is not a huge fan of cursing a lot in front of young children. There is a lot of cursing in this.”
Other crew members put a spotlight on the emotional aspects of the show.
“It’s heavy, but it’s definitely worth seeing,” Hilliker said.
Zittel encourages the audience to come to the show without preconceptions. “Just keep an open mind. Our show has a lot of humor in it, but there are also some really, really sharp messages,” Zittel said.
Though the audience will see the show this week, behind the scenes, months of dedication and preparation by the cast and crew have set “Continuity” up to shine on the main stage.
Tickets are set at $5 for GRCC students, $12 for GRCC faculty and staff, and $18 for general admission. Come see “Continuity” from April 9 till April 11 at the Spectrum Theater to experience an unforgettable show.
