From the Directors
We all know what it’s like not to feel at home in our own skin.
Abigail, for Now explores the feeling of being outsiders, even in our own lives. We hope this play might destigmatize conversations about mental health struggles, showing how connecting with others can help us feel a little less lonely. As Dr. Baylor reminds us, after all, “Finding belonging - it’s important. It’s maybe the most important thing.”
Abigail, For Now reminds us that we are all on a journey of becoming and belonging, and there is often more happening inside a person than we can see.
We are reminded to accept the humanity in all of us.
From the Producer
South Stage celebrates a few firsts with this production of Abigail, For Now. While we often stage fully realized premieres of new plays written by students, like last weekend's production of Rewind by Seth Korn, this is the Massachusetts premiere of Abigail, For Now by Norwood playwright Jackie Martin. We are grateful for her confidence and trust in us to bring Abigail to life and delighted that she will join us in the studio audience.
We also welcome Zena Link of the NSHS English Department to our lineup of faculty directors for her first show with South Stage. Her literary analysis, communication, and expression skills helped make this production successful.
With all of the novelty of this production of AFN, one might miss another first in recent South Stage memory: original scoring written and recorded by sophomore Madi Neel. Her evocative and haunting underscoring will help our production reach its potential.
Finally, while South Stage has produced live-to-stream TV-style content before, most recently the 2022 production of Leap of Faith, also a premiere written by Mason Kitzis '22, it is a first for nearly all of our designers, technicians, and actors working on this show. Just when students onstage and backstage become confident and comfortable with the stage, we challenge them to learn the new language, skills, and techniques of screen acting and production. While few of our students go on to work professionally in the performing arts, the growth that comes with the variety of South Stage experiences will help them on whatever path they choose.
