By Bianca Strzelczyk

The third installment of an ongoing series chronicling the production of “Lower Depths” by the Northeastern Theatre Department opening Feb. 16.

As the winter weeks slowly pass by, the cast members continue to get deeper into the lower depths of the minds of their characters.

Unexpected difficulties

As a result of missed rehearsals and other undisclosed details, cast member John Fagan, a fifth-year theatre major, had to be replaced. There are, however, no hard feelings.

“Between the two of us, the relationship is fine,” said Director Janet Bobcean. “He understood why I had to do what I did.”

Taking his place as Kostilyov is Demetrius Keone Thomas, a senior theatre major. Studying abroad in Italy last semester, Thomas missed auditions. Director Janet Bobcean originally offered him a small role as the police officer, which Thomas enthusiastically accepted.

“I was really looking forward to getting back involved at school since this is my senior year,” Thomas said.

When the role pfr Kostilyov opened up, Thomas jumped at the chance and has not regretted it since.

“I am a person that loves a challenge and coming into the production a few weeks into rehearsals added on a little extra pressure,” Thomas said. To the surprise of Bobcean and the rest of the cast, Thomas memorized his lines in about two days.

“He was able to step right in and keep things moving along nicely,” said cast member Matt Seaver, a sophomore theatre major. The unexpected cast change does not seem to have affected the actors or their chemistry.

“A cast change always chan-ges a show, but it is something we have to overcome and adapt to,” said cast member Erin Zalaski, a junior theatre major “It’s theatre. We have to do it.”

In addition, working almost daily in confined quarters with the same group of people during the flu season often leads to its own difficulties. From sharing the same cups of water to constantly yelling in each others’ faces, germs have spread.

“Everyone felt under the weather at one point or another, including the director and stage managers,” Bobcean said.

Although some members had to miss rehearsals, stage managers filled in for the roles and the cast just kept going.

Luckily, everyone is beginning to feel better.

The show must go on

Before rehearsals, the cast congregates in a little room adjacent to the Studio Theatre. In this room, known as the “Green Room,” the actors, stage managers and director lounge around joking with one another while eating their dinners.

However, come 6:30 p.m., everyone gets to work. While the actors warm up for rehearsals with the director, the stage managers prepare the set, arranging props and cleaning the stage.

When the actors return, they get straight to business. Bobcean and the stage managers sit and watch while the actors do a complete run through of the show, occasionally being helped with their lines. Bobcean does not stop the actors unless absolutely necessary, and tells them what needs improvement at the end of a scene. They also talk during the day about things that need changing.

“We need to really refine timing and work on everything in general,” Bobcean said. “But everything is moving along really well and a lot of work will happen in the next two weeks.”

Mainly, the cast is working on getting everything together for the big night. In the beginning, rehearsals were about figuring out the characters; now they are more about the characters interacting with one another.

“We were experimenting [before]” said cast member Casey Cipriani, a senior theatre major. “Now we are just polishing everything up.”

The actors are also working on making everything more believable and realistic.

“Shaping the character is always a delicate process. You want to be able to show all facets of his personality,” Thomas said.

With the set almost completed and their lines almost memorized, the actors are truly beginning to feel close with the “lower depths” of the characters. Sunday is tech day, when the cast has a grueling 10-hour rehearsal in which lighting, costumes and set will be finalized.

“Things are going to be crazy,” Bobcean said.

Set design

Stepping onto the stage of the Studio Theatre is like stepping into another world — one of misery and anger, a world created from a couple of slabs of wood and a few buckets of gray paint. The ceiling is low, the walls are dark and the props are closely spaced. There are overturned crates and cinder blocks surrounding a small table for the characters to sit on. Empty bottles of wine are filled with water and placed on stage. There are random props such as a checker board and old rags.

“One of the great things about being able to rehearse in the area you’ll actually be performing in is that it allows you to see exactly what you’ll be interacting with during performances,” Seaver said.

The stage is crowded and small, making the atmosphere tense.

“It really has helped achieve the feeling of claustrophobia that living in a place like the ‘Lower Depths’ would give you,” said cast member Leah Canali, a junior theatre major.

It also helps the actors become their characters.

“The dark and cramped quarters of the set are what help us to stay in the lower depths,” Zalaski said.

There is only one direct light shining on the actors as they recite their lines without their scripts. The lighting designer, Matthew Richards, observes the rehearsals, looking for places to put lighting on set.

“The lighting needs to look as real as possible,”Richards said. “I want to integrate them into the set, but I have to make sure the lights do not get in the way of the actors.”

Richards will be at “Lower Depths” opening night, but after that there will be a student working as the light board operator.

With the show only one week away, both actors and crew will be working hard to ensure everything is set for opening night.