Ursuline’s performing arts department presented “The Insanity of Mary Girard” at its fall show. The play was performed four times from Sept. 23-25, and according to Emma Kenchel ’22, “It was the best play they have ever done at Ursuline.”
The Insanity of Mary Girard is a well-known theatrical play.
The program states, “In 1790, Mary commits an indiscretion with a man other than her husband. Her husband has her declared as legally insane and committed to the Pennsylvania Hospital. Mary now sits in a “tranquility” chair as the “furies” dance around and haunt her. By the end of this chilling and highly theatrical piece, Mary starts questioning her own sanity.”
The cast consisted of the following UA students: Mimi Simons, who played Mary Girard; Tyler Wick, who played Stephen Girard; Kate Walsh, who played Mr. Phillips; Liv Russell who played Pholly Kenton; Mary Atwell, who played The Warder; Grace Gargiulo, who played Mrs. Lum and Molly Progar, who played Mrs. Hatcher.
The furies represented the different personality traits of Mary Girard: regressed child, delusions of grandeur, obsessive compulsive, bi-polar and hysteria. They were played by Peyton Roberts, Amelia Mappus, Kat Weber, Kate Keller and Amelia Rowes.
Mimi Simons ’22 played the lead role of Mary Girard.
She said, “I went into the audition, and they made me do a cold reading of the script. I read for three different characters in front of Ms. Ferguson, Ms. Butler and Ms. Coulter.”
After her first audition, Simons got a call back with 30 other girls. She had to act in multiple different scenes and got the call that night receiving her role.
“It was a cast of 13 people,” she said, “and I surprisingly got the lead role! I was so excited.”
Although Simons has been doing musical theater since age five, she still gets nervous when she first gets on stage and looks out into the crowded audience.
“We stayed on stage for an hour and 10 minutes with the stage lights beaming down on us,” she said. “It was very hot. That was the most difficult part of the entire show.”
Even after almost four weeks of practice, Simons said, “It was still kind of hard to play Mary Girard because her entire character is based off of her mental issues.” But, of course, she pulled it off, and was an amazing star of the show.
So many Ursuline faculty and students came to support those in the play, and the audience was filled.
Senior Anupa Matthew said, “It was an action-packed show that had me on the edge of my seat. The set and costumes were by far the best I have ever seen.”
Another senior, Sidney McKerrow, said, “It is crazy to know the characters on and off the stage. They really embodied each part and I felt that I was meeting somebody new.”
Coming up next is the spring musical, Grease. Stay tuned for more information to go support the Theater Bears!
Ursuline’s performing arts department presented “The Insanity of Mary Girard” at its fall show. The play was performed four times from Sept. 23-25, and according to Emma Kenchel ’22, “It was the best play they have ever done at Ursuline.”
The Insanity of Mary Girard is a well-known theatrical play.
The program states, “In 1790, Mary commits an indiscretion with a man other than her husband. Her husband has her declared as legally insane and committed to the Pennsylvania Hospital. Mary now sits in a “tranquility” chair as the “furies” dance around and haunt her. By the end of this chilling and highly theatrical piece, Mary starts questioning her own sanity.”
The cast consisted of the following UA students: Mimi Simons, who played Mary Girard; Tyler Wick, who played Stephen Girard; Kate Walsh, who played Mr. Phillips; Liv Russell who played Pholly Kenton; Mary Atwell, who played The Warder; Grace Gargiulo, who played Mrs. Lum and Molly Progar, who played Mrs. Hatcher.
The furies represented the different personality traits of Mary Girard: regressed child, delusions of grandeur, obsessive compulsive, bi-polar and hysteria. They were played by Peyton Roberts, Amelia Mappus, Kat Weber, Kate Keller and Amelia Rowes.
Mimi Simons ’22 played the lead role of Mary Girard.
She said, “I went into the audition, and they made me do a cold reading of the script. I read for three different characters in front of Ms. Ferguson, Ms. Butler and Ms. Coulter.”
After her first audition, Simons got a call back with 30 other girls. She had to act in multiple different scenes and got the call that night receiving her role.
“It was a cast of 13 people,” she said, “and I surprisingly got the lead role! I was so excited.”
Although Simons has been doing musical theater since age five, she still gets nervous when she first gets on stage and looks out into the crowded audience.
“We stayed on stage for an hour and 10 minutes with the stage lights beaming down on us,” she said. “It was very hot. That was the most difficult part of the entire show.”
Even after almost four weeks of practice, Simons said, “It was still kind of hard to play Mary Girard because her entire character is based off of her mental issues.” But, of course, she pulled it off, and was an amazing star of the show.
So many Ursuline faculty and students came to support those in the play, and the audience was filled.
Senior Anupa Matthew said, “It was an action-packed show that had me on the edge of my seat. The set and costumes were by far the best I have ever seen.”
Another senior, Sidney McKerrow, said, “It is crazy to know the characters on and off the stage. They really embodied each part and I felt that I was meeting somebody new.”
Coming up next is the spring musical, Grease. Stay tuned for more information to go support the Theater Bears!
