IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: “One Slight Hitch” on the Tunxis Stage

November 30, 2015

by Melanie Varricchione

I’ve been attending Tunxis Community College on and off since 2011, and it’s been an interesting journey. During this time I’ve never felt like I was a part of anything. I’ve been just going about my studies not bothering to incorporate any kind of social aspect into my experience here. I’d thought about joining clubs and made a few connections, but I’ve never made as many strong connections as I have this semester.

This semester is different because I am acting in the fall production at the Tunxis Stage. “One Slight Hitch” is a hilarious comedy written by Lewis Black, about the chaos before a wedding. I play the nagging mother of the bride, Delia, who is an extreme perfectionist. I can say with certainty it is the most fun I have had with a role. I think I can speak for the rest of the cast when I saw the show itself is so much fun to perform. We constantly find ourselves laughing at the same punch line even though we’ve seen it so many times.

I was brought up surrounded by theater people, so I know well that the amount of time you spend with people on a show creates lasting bonds. Without knowing it, the people you’ve been working with for months on a production with can become your family. I have never felt that more than I do with this show – The girls have even begun to call me “Mom”, and I have assumed the role of Mother Hen as I do with all of my close friends.

Being in a Tunxis Stage production has opened up a door for me socially, and has given me an opportunity to play a different role from any others I’ve played in outside productions. Playing a new role means creating a character. It’s not enough to just read the words, you really have to think about what the character is saying and how they might be feeling. During rehearsals I’m constantly having new realizations about my character, not only from my own lines, but other characters’ as well. It’s a very strange experience to be another person, at the same time it’s so much fun.

I think the reason I find it so appealing to be another person is because of the struggles I’ve had with social anxiety. Instead of being myself and making awkward conversation with people I don’t know, I’m speaking as someone else. In performing I am able to build confidence in my abilities to portray a different person, and in this way it has been extremely therapeutic for me to act. This Tunxis stage production has been no exception to that, and it has been an important step for breaking out of my anxieties.

If you think you might want to get involved in theater in some way, I highly recommend doing it right here at Tunxis. There’s a great Intro to Theater class that I am currently taking, which got me into auditioning for the play in the first place. Even if you don’t want to be on the stage, there are opportunities to help with costume design, set design, and tech aspects as well. The Theater club also meets on Tuesdays at 2:30 in the Founders Hall Theater. It’s a good chance to make friends with similar interests, and learn new things about the theatrical world.

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“One Slight Hitch” was performed on Nov. 20 and 21, 2015. Like many other Tunxis theater performances, the show was a success.