Seneca graduate to star in play at University of Mary Washington
By Katrina Grant
Kathryn Gigantiello of Shamong will star in her college’s production of “The Women of Lockerbie.” Gigantiello is a sophomore at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. She is a 2010 graduate of Seneca High School. In the play, Gigantiello will play one of the women of Lockerbie.
“This is my first play at college,” Gigantiello said. “When I was at Seneca, I was in all the plays and two musicals.”
Tryouts were held the first week of classes. If someone was selected, they were invited back to a second round of tryouts, and then selected for the play from the second round.
“There were quite a few people trying out. I would say the whole theater department,” Gigantiello said. “There were two nights of auditions, you could go on either night. There was then a call back list and then a final cast list.”
“The Women of Lockerbie” tells the story of Madeline and Bill Livingston, whose 20-year-old son perished when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. They arrive in Lockerbie seven years later in hopes of finding anything that once belonged to their son. While searching for their son’s remains, Madeline and Bill meet a group of women dedicated to washing the clothes found amongst the wreckage and returning them to the victims’ families.
Written by Deborah Brevoort, “The Women of Lockerbie” is loosely inspired by the explosion of Pan American World Airways’ Flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. The play is the winner of the silver medal in the Onassis International Playwriting Competition and the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays award.
“This is written in the structure of a great tragedy,” Gigantiello said. “It is kind of like a poetic drama.”
Gigantiello is a theatre and elementary education major. Last year, she tried out for a play, but decided to participate in the Dance Team and Performing Arts Club. Theatre is something that Gigantiello sees herself continuing to pursue through college and possibly after.
“Yes, I would say I would like to keep at it,” Gigantiello said. “I absolutely love theatre and would like to continue. Maybe when I graduate I can check out some roles in the D.C. area or even New York.”
Performances run Sept. 29 through Oct. 9 in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. For more information, contact the Klein Theatre Box Office at 540–654–1111.
