With more than 40 productions under her belt, aspiring actress junior Dana Havlin took on a British accent, along with on stage romance in her latest role.
Havlin portrayed Susanna Hall, Shakespeare’s daughter and the notoriously unfaithful wife, in Herbal Bed directed by Betsy Cornwell.
“I’ve never been in a dark comedy before, but I love the challenge as well as playing dramatic roles where the character struggles with life and love,” Havlin said.
Preparing for her role, Havlin did more than getting into character, as she practiced on stage kissing with her character’s love interest, Rafe Smith, played by senior Jake Ryan.
“Along with my double, Avery Larue, I play the adulterer, which in order to do right by the playwright and stay in character takes a lot of professionalism,” Havlin said.
Starlight Theatre Company is no stranger to hard-hitting and risqué topics.
“We definitely perform shows that no other program would even consider doing, especially in high school, because of the talent and commitment that our students and directors offer,” Havlin said.
Havlin began her acting career at the age of nine. Since then, Havlin has worked with nearly a dozen companies and has honed skills from tap dancing to shooting guns while dangling from a 15 ft. platform.
“Her presence on stage is authoritative, but also very comfortable. She brings a lot to the table with all her experience,” Ryan said.
While it was neither Havlin nor Ryan’s first romantic role, they attempted to make it as real as possible while maintaining character and performing in front of dozens of people.
”The hardest part is creating meaningful relationships between characters that are supposed to have known each other their entire lives,” Havlin said.
With just under a month to go from auditioning to performing actors and actresses work long hours after school and weekends in order to bring a production to life.
“Some people in the company average close to a thousand hours a year. Not only is it rewarding to see all your hard work unfold in something so many people can enjoy but colleges love to see such dedication in any club,” Havlin said.
The theatre company showcased not only the true story of Herbal Bed, but three other dark comedies that put a twist on popular lore.
Mariner, directed by Robert Gomez, showed the audience another side of famous discover Christopher Columbus as his life is reviewed while on trial in purgatory.
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, directed by Marco Bazan, told the tale of the trial against the betrayer of Jesus.
Finally, Transylvania Clockworks, directed by Kayln Holloway, warped the audience’s view on notorious Count Dracula, as he is now perceived as the misunderstood.
“It takes a lot of dedication and perseverance, but I believe it is the most rewarding thing to be a part of at Bowie, on stage and off stage,” Havlin said.
Productions opened to the audience Oct. 3. through 13., Thursdays through Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets were sold at the door for 10 dollars or purchased from actors in the shows for eight dollars.