The Underground, an entirely student-led organization, creates opportunities for younger cast and crew members desiring real experience in a competitive field. Underground is a subsection of Samford’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega (APO), the national theatre honor society, and exists to engage underclassmen in the world of theatrical production when main-stage opportunities may not be as prevalent for them.
Senior Lucy Blaylock is an Underground committee member and director of Eurydice, a one-act show that ran in Bolding Studio from Nov. 8 to Nov. 9. She has been involved in Underground since the spring semester of her sophomore year.
“People who are not cast in the main stage are the only ones allowed to audition,” said Blaylock. “So it’s a great opportunity for people who aren’t seeing the opportunities they want on Samford’s main stage. It’s really great fall semester of freshman year – that’s their (underclassmen) first show they can really get involved with a lot of the time.”
Underground’s most recent show, Eurydice, featured young students like 19-year-old Cade Harkness, who played a significant part in the show, and freshmen Abigail Petit, who played the title role herself, Eurydice.
As well as offering younger students the chance to shine on stage, Underground also creates a space for shows that are considered unconventional for the main stage. Blaylock starred in Constellations her sophomore year, “a lovely two-person show,” as she put it.
“We’re (Underground) getting to do the work that you don’t see on the main stage, because you can’t realistically have a two-person show on the main stage – that’s just not a big enough cast,” said Blaylock. “It’s exciting that Underground gets to supply that need.”
Artistically, Underground is the epitome of a creative outlet and the embodiment of its name. It feels much more “if you know, you know” than other theater experiences at Samford. Historically, Underground shows have always started at 9 p.m., adding a layer of apparent elusiveness to the nature of the production.
But at the same time, the Underground is an open book. Before the show starts, directors are required to give a short speech, and after, there is a ten-minute “talk-back” period where the audience may ask questions for the cast to answer. This fosters an intimacy throughout the process, which was already quite intimate as productions are held in Bolding Studio, a much smaller space than the main stage in Harrison Theatre.
Experiencing an Underground show is a staple Samford experience. Keep an ear open and an eye out for the next one in the spring.
Arts & Life Editor
