THR 359 Theatre Productions and Performance
Course: THR359 Theatre Production and Performance
Production: The Comedy of Errors
Term: Winter 2018
Evaluator: Brad Graham, Stage Manager
Student: Katherina Stegerman
The roles Katherina was given in this show, both on stage and off, were challenging in very different ways. I know that the timeline and workload for Costumes was huge, but I was glad she was the person making it happen because she understood better than most how to accomplish the tasks she was being asked to tackle, even if she didn’t always feel like she had enough time to tackle them.
In rehearsals, I think it continues to be a steep learning curve about how she sees herself and what she’s capable of, but I think she did discover some important things in this performance about her command and strength, both as an actor and a person. I hope Katherina will continue to accept challenges that she’s not completely confident about, because that bravery will pay off as it has throughout this year.
Term: Winter 2018
Instructor: Nathan Schmidt
Student: Katherina Stegerman
Katherina did really focused and playful work. She worked with good courage at a role that she eventually revealed was a big challenge for her. I do wish she had spoken with me earlier about her concerns, but I do also respect her determination to come to terms with it in her way. This did lead to a struggle the day before we opened. She expressed concern and fear over the role that she had been carrying. I’m so glad that she persevered, and I hope she learned something about her abilities and their relationship to fear.
I thought her work as the courtesan was really great, she was able to play both the seductive notes as well as the worn down and mistreated facets of the character. I saw her really respect this woman that had been cheated and then pursued her justice. During the rehearsal process Katherina was quick to understand the text and was helpful at the table. I would caution her to pay attention to how she shares her smarts. Offering understanding and gauging other’s insecurity can be a tricky balance.
Again, dynamic and honest work in a challenging role. Glad to have had Katherina in the cast.
Production Work (Amy)
Katherina worked hard to complete the final touches on the costumes. I felt confident in her to accomplish the work needed to be done for this show. She took initiative, and got the job done. The costumes looked great and it all came together quite nicely despite the stress of the unorganized production times.
Overall the students did a great job with the execution of the costumes. I was quite impressed with what they collectively came up with for each character. It looked great and worked well with the show. They all worked well together, and each took on tasks to get the job done.
Rehearsal:(Memorization, Participation, Preparation, Willingness, Curiosity, Focus) 51/65%
Production Work: 13.5/15%
Performance: 16/20%
Total 80.5% = B+
Katherina Stegerman: Courtesan/Merchant
This was an extremely fun show. It was fast-paced, the setting worked very well for this story, the costumes and characters were zany and out there, and everyone did a very good job in their roles. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and a true Comedy of Errors!
I was able to see a run-through during tech week, as well as the final Thursday show of the run, and one of things that struck me most about Katherina’s performance was the growth I saw between the two runs. Katherina was asked to play some colours that I suspect she doesn’t often bring out in her role as the Courtesan. My guess is that this may have been a challenge for her. In tech week Katherina seemed unsure and tentative with some of her actions and intentions, but certainly by the time I saw it later in the run I felt that she had taken full control of the role and the moment, and really owned it. It was great to see this kind of growth in Katherina.
Overall, I found Katherina’s presence to be strong, her intentions seemed clear, and I felt she did a good job making sense of the text – she a good understanding of what she was saying, and I had no problem hearing her.
My main challenge would be around the importance and value of the ring and why Katherina’s character wanted it back so badly. What really went on between Antipholus and her? What is the background of the ring? What does it mean to her? These are some of the questions that I felt could’ve filled out the role even more.
However, like I say, I really enjoyed Katherina’s performance. Well done! I’m excited to see where this kind of growth may take her next year.
Thoughts: I am really struck by how visible the struggle I went through was to Paul. He clearly saw the fear that I had to work through with Nathan before opening in the show that he watched. I am glad I was able to come to terms with the character before we opened.