The student-written and -directed play “The Lemon” is a depiction of personal growth for not only the students involved but also the audience.
“The Lemon” is an autobiographical dramatization of a small Italian restaurant and the chaos which surrounds working there. The show not only offers a lighthearted and comical experience for the audience, but also an opportunity for the cast and crew to reflect on their time at Coastal Carolina University.
Senior theatre arts major and playwright Grace Gardner first wrote “The Lemon” at 19 years old, an optimistic retelling of her experiences with a restaurant similar to the one depicted in the play. “The Lemon” debuted on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Edwards Black Box Theater.
After revisiting the work as a senior, Gardner said that while the lighthearted and comedic tone remained the same, the play saw tremendous growth.
What began as 40 pages grew to over 100 pages of strong narrative detail. She said there is growth not only in the story but within herself.
“It was really important for me as a senior in college to go back and look at my mindset, and look at my world view, and what living meant to me at 19 years old. I think it’s going to be really good for audiences to go back and revisit this strong and determined mindset too,” Gardner said.
Similar to Gardner, senior theatre arts major and director of the play Avery Walters experienced growth on set. During this production cycle she found not only a love for being on the stage and acting but also directing.
“I would like to explore directing outside of school. That’s kind of exciting and kind of jarring, but I’m really happy I got to try it in a very low-stakes environment,” Walters said.
The seniors on set aren’t the only ones experiencing newfound growth.
Freshman theatre major Camren Klepper plays the role of Shelley, but is also the hair and makeup designer on set. Klepper said acting and working behind the scenes has given her a deeper appreciation and understanding of both roles.
“I’ve learned a lot about the different perspectives that you need to have as a designer versus being an actor and how the roles help each other. I’m a better actor because I’m a designer and a better designer because I’m an actor,” Klepper said.
“The Lemon” highlights growth for those who worked on the play as well as the development of the theatre department.
This production is the third installment within the Discovery Series to be written by a student and features interactive elements that haven’t been previously explored at CCU.
“I want [the audience] to be immersed, come out the other side and be like ‘woah’ because it’s so fun and it’s so farcical,” Gardner said.
