'Suppressed Desires' shared common themes in one-act plays

     Last weekend, seasoned Starlighters II Theatre actor and director Jennifer Beall introduced the public to “A Night of Suppressed Desires: A Series of One-Act Plays.”

   “This was a big part of my growing up,” she recalled of her debut at Starlighters at 10 years of age. “I have good memories here as a kid.”

   Beall directed her first play at Starlighters in 2017, “Inheritors,” written by Susan Glaspell.

   “There was an open call for directors, and I responded to that,” she said.

   In 2018, Beall directed the musical “She Loves Me.”

   Beall became a fan of Glaspell’s work, which led to her directing “Suppressed Desires.”

   “Her work is pretty prolific,” she said. “When I read ‘Suppressed Desires,’ I actually laughed out loud. That doesn’t happen often when reading a script. The humor is still so vibrant.”

   All three one-act plays take place in 1916.

   Beall said when she was asked to direct this time around, she had a lot on her plate with graduate school and having recently gotten married.

   “It’s a lower-tech show so I was able to focus on directing the actors and telling the story,” she said, “versus everything else.”

   Several common themes are seen throughout all three shows, which in total, run about an hour and a half. There is an intermission.

   “They explore women’s relationships with men, peers, and themselves,” hinted Beall.

   With shorter plays, Beall said she and cast were able to cover so much material during rehearsals rather than split up the play in multiple nights.

   “This allowed the actors to dive into their characters’ nuances,” she said.

   Within the three acts, there are two male characters. Unfortunately, no men auditioned, so Beall had to recruit some familiar with Starlighters and a newbie, one of her speech students from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids.

   “Typically, more females than males audition,” she said.

   Recently, the cast of “Overtones” traveled to Oskaloosa to perform at the ICTA (Iowa Community Theatre Association) Festival.

    Beall said considering they were heavy into rehearsals, this event gave some additional exposure to Starlighters and allowed the cast to perform on the road in front of judges.

   “It was a good experience,” she said.

   One of those cast members is Lindsay Ryan of Monticello. This is her second time appearing on stage at Starlighters. She had a minor role in “The Wolves,” in which her young daughter, Aisling, starred.

   “I thought it would be something fun to do with her,” Ryan said of acting alongside her daughter. “It was amazing.”

   Taking part in “Overtones” is something Ryan wanted to do for herself.

   “I did plays and musicals in high school, but never had the lead role; only very small roles. Sometimes I worked backstage.”

   After just two plays at Starlighters, Ryan has the acting bug.

   “It’s a hobby; it’s something I enjoy,” she said. “I can separate it from my work and being a mom. I can be creative and meet new people.”

   Ryan said it’s also been a way for her to challenge herself, stepping out of her comfort zone appearing on stage. It’s also been a challenge, she said, trying to memorize her lines.

   “I have worked hard at that,” she said of her determination.

   Ryan and her husband coordinate their schedules so she’s able to explore her acting hobby.

   Despite working long days in the classroom and having busy at-home lives, Ryan said she gets her second wind when she shows up at the theater.

   “I definitely want to do more,” she said. “I’m interested in the whole process and how it all comes together.”

   Ryan’s role in “Overtones” allows her to be more dramatic on stage.

   “It’s been fun!” she said.

   “A Night of Suppressed Desires” still has tickets available for this weekend, March 31 and April 1 and 2. Call the box office at 319-462-4793 to reserve a seat or visit starlighters.org.