Performance season is in full swing, and the Marshall University Theatre Department is preparing for opening night.

The season begins with the show “Ah, Wilderness”. The show is set over July 4th weekend in Connecticut in 1906.

The show displays small town family values with a mix of teenage rebellion and young love.

“I play Muriel who is the love interest of Richard. She’s really spunky, so sweet and just a golden ray of sunshine. I love the character,” said Performing Arts major, Kelsey Hofe.

Hofe said the 2 main things that go into her performance are learning the lines and character development. Hofe studied the show’s time period and other characters from the period who would relate to Muriel.

“I just looked up the character and tried to find things that worked to help portray her personality,” Hofe said.

Professor of Costume Design at Marshall University’s theatre department, Joan St. Germain, said the show is family oriented. St. Germain said even the few adult based situations are carried out in a very family friendly way.

St. Germain said that she has 4 people on crew who will take care of 13 actors and a child. The crew does hair, help actors dress, make sure things stay in quick repair and that laundry is done appropriately.

“We had our first dress rehearsal on Sunday. It was a pretty good first dress, and we’ll continue to add to it until the show,” St. Germain said.

St. Germain said students are working hard to make things look good for the show.

“You have to be really careful in the Francis Booth because the audience is so close, so things have to look good, and we have to be careful,” St. Germain said.

St. Germain said the show is coming together and she hopes people will enjoy it and not be so caught up with the costumes, so they can really enjoy the show.

“When the costumes, the set and the lighting all come together, it just looks phenomenal,” St. Germain said.

Within the last week, St. Germain said students worked about a total of 350 hours on the show. St. Germain said that is normal for a push week which is the week leading up to the opening of the show.

Kalyn Bordman can be contacted at [email protected].