(photo credit to Allie Sammons)
Imagine standing backstage on opening night of a play you’ve spent the last several weeks of your life rehearsing and devoting all of your energy to perfecting. It’s finally the night the entire cast has been preparing for and time is running down. Pretty soon you’ll have to get into costume. So you get a cough drop, and you brush your teeth before going to get dressed. You’re ready.
For most of us this scenario is just a daydream, but for Mary Mackin, a senior multimedia journalism major and theatre minor, it’s exactly what happened Thursday evening. At 7:30 p.m. in Vivia Locke Theatre, OSU Theater season officially began with “What I Did Last Summer”. Mackin lends her talents to the role of Grace, the mother of the main character, Charlie. This is Mackin’s first time playing a mother, and while the role was challenging, she loved every minute of it.
There were some scary times too, though. After a break one day, Mackin was walking to her place on stage, where she found an actual live bat on the ground. “Naturally, I screamed,” Mackin said. “He was a scary little thing. If anyone got too close to him he’d flash his teeth”. Luckily, the cast and directors came together to get the bat out of the theatre and onto a tree outside.
The cast and crew didn’t just come together to handle bats. They’ve come together as a family. “The professors here really want to help you get out there and create some awesome theatre,” Mackin said. “I am really thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with all of them”.
Mackin makes the most of these opportunities, and her time in the OSU Theatre department. She serves as the president of Theatre Council, which is an organization that provides opportunities to people who are interested in all aspects of theatre. This devotion to theatre has been a part of Mackin’s life for more than just her time at OSU. She’s been doing theatre since she was in sixth grade. In these 11 years she’s been extremely passionate about theatre and knew she wouldn’t stop when she got to college.
“Right before I go on stage I get that roller coaster stomach drop feeling,” Mackin said. “I love the rush of adrenaline, and the excitement and energy. There’s no feeling like it”.
For “What I Did Last Summer” Mackin is especially excited about her mom seeing it. The last time her mom saw her in a show was three years ago when Mackin was a chorus member of “Xanadu”.
This time, Mackin will take center stage, in a coming of age story about a 14-year-old boy who’s trying to find out what his potential is. Charlie, played by Cody Finger, will face struggles of friends and family.
“It will have you laughing and crying,” Mackin said. “You’ll leave the theatre with a happy heart”.
“What I Did Last Summer” runs from September 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. in Vivia Locke Theatre. There will be a final performance on September 27 at 2:30 p.m. Admission is 10 dollars, and 7 dollars for students and seniors.