'Bachelorette' receives positive response

“Bachelorette” has been running since March 22 and has taken the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center by storm with its raw, nontraditional script.

Written by Leslye Headland as part of the Seven Deadly Plays series, “Bachelorette” has been well-attended every night since its debut.

“We had a sold-out show both last Friday and this Friday,” said Heidi Harmon, marketing manager at the Cardinal Stage Company. “Student attendance has been amazing, and we have had very positive reactions to the play.”

Songs by popular singers Rihanna, Florence and the Machine and Ke$ha resounded throughout the room as people filed in and took their seats. The Arts Center offered free beverages and created a comfortable atmosphere for attendees. Audience members were drawn into the scene due to the stage’s close proximity.

“It is lovely to see you all here this evening,” Director Randy White said. “Thank you so much for coming, and I hope you enjoy the show.”

Stumbling into the hotel room set, Gena and Katie, played by Margaret Katch and Jillian Burfete, began to explore the exquisite suite. Finding fancy couches to jump on, a spectacular wedding dress to play with and a tub full of champagne to indulge in, the girls started a whirlwind of trouble that didn’t change until the end of the play.

“I’ve been involved in a play where crazy stuff happens but never in a play that handles it this well and this authentically,” said Kelly Lusk, who is playing the role of Joe.

Throughout the play, the characters were examined in individual and group situations.

“Bachelorette” was filled with laughter-inducing dialogue, as well as heart-wrenching scenes, as the actors brought the relatable experiences in Headland’s script to life.

In a scene featuring only Joe and Katie, the two sat chatting on the couch and, in time, began to tell stories about their pasts. Some were funny: others, not so much.

“One time, I woke up naked next to a hamburger,” Katie said. “My first thought was, ‘Oh my god, I did that hamburger!’ But then I realized you couldn’t do that to a hamburger.”

The crowd rolled with laughter as Katie told her story to Joe, and then Joe related a drunken experience that he remembered quite well.

“I was convinced that I was Satan,” Joe said. “I was so convinced that I lit my friend’s couch on fire.”

Unable to stop laughing, Joe and Katie continued to share their fun stories and wide grins until Joe related a story that didn’t have a happy ending.

“One night, I went out drinking with my best friend, Ethan Parsons,” Joe began. “We got blasted, and we came back and passed out next to each other on the bed.”

Katie, having passed out numerous times due to drinking, smiled at the thought of Joe and his best friend passing out together. In her estimation, “reaching the point where I can’t bring the bottle to my mouth is the best.” Joe stopped her smile with four words.
“He never woke up,” Joe said.

From there, lies, deception, betrayal and insecurity wreaked havoc during the bride’s last night as a single woman. Becky, played by Emily Solt, came back to the suite to find it trashed, her wedding gifts scattered and a girl she didn’t even like nearly dead.

“I really liked this play,” IU student Matt Kwasniak said. “It was incredibly raw and relatable, a real emotional roller coaster.”

By the end of the play, secrets were revealed, hearts were laid bare and insecurities were discovered. Through the challenges of the night, the women, the two visiting guys and the bride had learned much about each other and themselves.

“The play definitely speaks to me in the sense that I see myself and my friends in every single one of these characters,” Lusk said. “I’ve seen my friends be responsible, manipulative, lovable, confused, stoned and drunk. These are all things that the characters in ‘Bachelorette’ go through, and they all have their own very justifiable reasons for doing so. It’s not that we don’t want to grow up or don’t know how to grow up. We just don’t see the point.”