Wednesday, October 16, 2002
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Wednesday, October 16, 2002 |
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Fayetteville residents write and direct 'Letters to FDR' By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
The Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation (RWSIR) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this month and one of the key events of the celebration is the production of an original play called "Letters to FDR," written, produced and directed by LaGrange College graduates and Fayetteville residents Nylsa Dunbar and Carrie Akins. The entire process of writing the script, building the set, casting the show and producing it has taken approximately one year and Dunbar, the show's director, admits it has been an overwhelming experience. "Letters to FDR" was the first play either Dunbar or Akins has written and both women have had to wear several hats to get the show ready for opening night. "We did a lot of research about the 75-year history of the RWSIR and have highlighted the monumental moments," said Dunbar. "We focused on stories that patients and alumni could relate to and we interviewed a lot of people to make the show both heartfelt and historically accurate." The story begins with three college freshmen who are assigned the task of cleaning out and organizing the archives at the RWSIR. From there the story of the Institute is told in flashbacks, beginning when FDR was there and the foundation was built. The two-act production will encompass all the milestones of the FDR era, including Roosevelt's first visit to Warm Springs, his decision to purchase the property and turn it into a polio treatment facility; presidential birthday balls, a precursor to the March of Dimes; and Roosevelt's death at the Little White House April 12, 1945. From there the timeline of episodes switches to Jonas Salk and the Salk Vaccine in the mid 1950s, presidential campaign appearances, the beginnings of vocational rehabilitation, take over by the state of Georgia and finally, the advent of international athletic competition in West Central Georgia with the Roosevelt International Cup, just to name a few. Dunbar and Akins, along with their directing and stage managing duties respectively, have also had to handle the roles of prop master, costume designer, lights and sound. The set design was handled by another LaGrange College alum, Mike Austin. The cast is made up of many people from in and around the community of Warm Springs as well as Fayetteville resident Kathryn Aquino. Though Dunbar and Akins are both graduates of LaGrange College's drama program, their experience with "Letters to FDR" seems like a postgraduate program testing their skills. They both also have a lot of theater experience that has helped the process along immensely. Dunbar performed in several shows for the House Red Theater Company, formerly based out of the Fayetteville Baci and toured twice with the Kaiser-Permanente Educational Theater, while Akins was Assistant Stage Manager at the Paper Mill Theater in New Hampshire and has studied theater in England. Dunbar would definitely like to write another play and direct again sometime in the future but for now the focus is on making it through opening night. "I feel very lucky that I was able to do this entire project with my best friend," said Dunbar. "That was the best part of the experience." "Letters to FDR" will be performed in the newly renovated, 400 seat Roosevelt Hall Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, and Friday, Oct. 18. Phone 706-655-5668 or visit www.rooseveltrehab.org for more information. |
