That Saturday, written by Milena Sigerson (V) and directed by Liv Weinstein (VI), follows three friends who, through a series of dramatic events, learn to stick together and survive as teenage girls, highlighting difficult teen relationships and the pressures that follow people throughout high school.
The three friends, Rose, Kiki, and Emma, played by Kyra Morgan (V), Dachelle Washington (V), and Chloe Bivona (V) find themselves home alone on a Saturday night with a bottle of vodka. Things get complicated when Joe, played by Dylan Mcgrath (V), and Alex, played by Miles Stephenson (V), arrive. Rose’s semi-conservative boyfriend Henry, played by Prez Thomas (V), repeatedly facetimes her, reminding the audience of the century the play occurs in. The ties between the six complicated characters allow for a dramatic and surprising climax.
Though the events in this dark comedy were “purely fictional,” playwright Sigerson explained that the emotion the actors brought to the stage made the play feel real and touching. “The fact that we put so much of ourselves into the show made the final product all the more meaningful” Weinstein said. Sigerson gave the actors an opportunity to express the frustration, excitement, loneliness, and fear that comes with being a teenager.“When you’re a teenager, everything always feels like it’s falling apart, but we are brave because we never stop trying,” Sigerson said in her writer’s note. “I connected to so many characters in this show, but specifically my own,” Dachelle Washington said. “I can connect to not always being able to admit when you’re hurt, and my character, Kiki, was the perfect example of that.”
The bonds between the actors helped propel the relationships between the characters. “The best part of the show was that we were all so close with each other,” Bivona said. “It made performing easier.”
Although the audience was a mix of teens and adults, the gasps and chuckles heard throughout the show made it clear that That Saturday did not only have a connection to the current generation of teenagers. The parents, students, friends, and faculty that filled the seats of the Alex Cohen Theater applauded as the actors took their final bow and thanked the wonderful team that helped make the show possible.
The carefully crafted lines and strategic blocking present in That Saturday, worked together to form a wonderfully heartbreaking production. Liv Weinstein expressed the pride she felt in her casts’ work. While the the cast spent hours rehearsing and crafting this show, the tiring work of tech week and three performances was definitely worth it in the end. That Saturday came together so beautifully that tears could be seen rolling down the faces of audience members. Sigerson’s text, Weinstein’s directing, and the cast’s acting meshed together in a way that stuck with the audience even after they left the theater. One can only hope that Milena Sigerson writes another play soon.
