By Reagan Wildoner
Two co-stars in the upcoming production of “Falstaff and the Endless Machine” sat down with me to talk about the show itself, and their experiences as this process has unfolded. John Falstaff appears in three of Shakespeare’s plays, and now in this original work by playwright Jared Michael Delaney. The Year End Series (YES) Festival is 51's new-play festival, the oldest collegiate new-play festival in the country. For the 20th Anniversary, the School of the Arts will host four world-premiere plays, and a first-ever regional collaboration. This show is about time. It is about the choices we make as human beings, and how those choices can impact our entire lives. It shows us dreams can end up being entirely different than we imagined, and how those dreams can affect the people around us in ways we never thought they could.
Sylas Craven
Played by Sylas Craven, John Falstaff is brought to life alongside an entire cast of vibrant characters to immerse the audience in this brand new work. This show will bring humor to the audience, while also sending messages of genuine importance. When talking with Craven, we discussed what it was like going through this process of being cast, and his plans for the future regarding the SOTA Theatre & Dance Program.
“During the audition process, I wasn’t really expecting much, but I was confident,” he said. He explained that since the work is original, after getting cast it was an odd process to research the show since there is nothing about it online. Instead, it was more of a process of researching individual characters and where they come from within Shakespeare’s works. “It has been super fun getting to originate this role. It is definitely a totally different experience from what I have done before in the program as a swing.” I asked about his plans as he progresses in the program. “I have always wanted to do film, so I decided to go with a BFA in Acting to really hone in those skills. Since 7th grade I remember loving film, though since theatre was always more accessible, I’ve mainly done musicals. That has left me with a huge soft spot for musical theatre, but I felt an Acting degree would serve me best for post-graduation film auditions.” He expressed his excitement to keep performing within the program in years to come.
Tiffany Warren
Another of the show’s amazing cast, Tiffany Warren, also took the time to sit down with me and talk about a variety of things. We discussed her time in the program and her plans after she graduates in May.
“I am a transfer student, so I missed my first two years here at 51,” she said. “Then, of course, last year everything was shut down due to Covid. So, my time here has been weird to say the least.” She elaborated on the audition process, and explained that for the other shows she went for, it just didn’t feel right. Then, when reading for the Falstaff audition, she nailed it. The callback came, and she was the first there and one of the last to leave. “As a BA Theatre student, I was one of the only people there not required to audition. I was there because I wanted to fight for the role. When the cast list came out, I cried. I was so happy.” I asked about her plans post-graduation. “My first goal is to find a community,” she told me. “Once I find a community, I will find people who are passionate about theatre within that. I want to find people who have the same goals as me, such as sharing important stories through theatre.” Warren went on to express how, while large groups of people can’t experience empathy for a lot of stories that are told, she would like to use theatre to help them experience sympathy. Whether it is stories about the experiences of people of color, or just other communities and cultures, she would like to bring theatre “to those who don’t know they need it.”
