The AU Players, much like their latest production "Big Love," have changed dramatically under the watchful eye and strong encouragement of Executive Director Anne Veal, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. They have moved from a few scattered and relatively unprofessional performances a year to a student-run theater powerhouse producing as many as five shows a semester. "Big Love" sold out all three performances.
AU Players member Lauren Wesolowski, a senior in the School of Communication, has noticed the difference.
"We went from Kreeger 6 and using people's desk lamps as lighting to this beautiful space in Katzen," she said. "There was this real turning point last year when people started to take this seriously and take us seriously and from there on out it's all been about upward motion."
Roddy Flynn, Public Relations Director of AU Players and a junior in the School of Public Affairs, agrees.
"Players is different this year," he said, citing Veal and AU Players member Sean Bartley as "visionaries."
"Everything we've accomplished in such a short time is a testament to them. They inspire us," Flynn said.
Location isn't the only change, though.
"Shows are now picked for their artistic merit and what's good for the students," Veal said. "We don't do vanity projects anymore."
The troupe even occasionally calls Veal and Bartley, the director of "Big Love" and a senior in CAS, "Mommy and Daddy." Veal laughed at the nicknames.
"Sometimes Mommy and Daddy argue in front of the children," she said. "But it always yields a solution that is better than either of us could have done alone."
Unfortunately, Veal and Bartley both graduate this year. The company stresses they will be sad to see them go, but they are not worried about the future of AU Players without them.
"They're great at training and they're leaving behind people who know what they're doing and want to pass it on," Wesolowski said.
Veal isn't worried about leaving, either.
"Last year was our first big transition year and we're better than ever," she said. "Obviously you have to keep reaching out to people, but the freshman class just exploded."
This is obvious from the cast of their most recent show, which features a bevy of underclassmen. Two freshmen play lead roles.
Nick Jonczak, a freshman in CAS, is very excited about the future.
"AU Players gave me the chance to really make theater a part of my life," he said. "There is this really intense sense of community in AU Players. Everyone is there for each other."
Not only that, but everyone is reaching out.
"For far too long, theater groups have been viewed as separate from the rest of campus," Flynn said.
However, half the cast of "Big Love" is composed of non-theater majors. The choreography for the show was done by Amanda Hoffman, a junior in the School of Communication and president of AU in Motion. It was also co-sponsored by Women's Initiative, Queers and Allies and the Student Government Arts Initiative.
"There's direction, there's planning, and now the groundwork is laid," Flynn said.
"We're going to keep challenging ourselves, and we're going to keep trying to raise the bar for theater at AU. Looking at the talent and dedication of the freshmen, the sky is the limit," he said.
