What: "Anna's Wings"
When: 6 p.m. April 2, 9 p.m. April 8 and 4:30 p.m. April 10.
Where: Indy Eleven Theatre, 719 E. Clair St.
More information about DivaFest can be found here.
A Ball State professor will have her play performed for three nights at the Sixth Annual DivaFest in Indianapolis starting April 2.
“Anna’s Wings” is a play written by Angela Jackson-Brown, an English professor, and follows the story of Anna, who is fighting Alzheimer’s disease, and her husband Sheriff Leo Skinner, who is fighting for reelection.
Jackson-Brown wrote the play, originally a short story, after contemplating what her biggest fear would be.
“For me it was not having my memories, not being able to be creative,” Jackson-Brown said. “Then I thought about what would be the most extreme way [I could have] Anna choose to deal with [Alzheimer’s]. I thought having her choose suicide with her husband being a cop would be an interesting way to complicate things.”
She originally heard about DivaFest from a friend, who recommended she submit a play. Jackson-Brown reworked the short story into a play and submitted it at the beginning of December.
After hearing back at the end of January, she hurried to put the cast together.
“All the actors have acting and directing experience,” Jackson-Brown said. “Three have been acting for 10-30 years. I’m very fortunate to have such an experienced cast.”
Despite most of her actors being older, Jackson-Brown still found a way to involve Ball State students. Tierra Kendall, a junior telecommunications major, is the production’s stage manager.
“[Jackson-Brown] said in class that she had a position available for stage manager,” Kendall said. “I thought it would be a new experience, and I could add things to my résumé.”
In addition to being stage manager, Kendall helped cast the actors and will do sound engineering for the performances.
“I’m in charge of all the sound effects and music,” Kendall said. “It’s what I want to do in the future.”
Kendall also said while the process is exciting, it’s also a lot of hard work.
“I read a book about stage managing and thought it wouldn’t be that big of a deal,” Kendall said. “But it’s a lot of work. If I’m not on campus, then I’m in Indy [working on the play].”
Shannon Walter, a senior rhetoric and writing major, designed the play’s poster. Walter was referred to Jackson-Brown by a design professor.
“I’m glad I did [the advertisements],” Walter said. “The play seems fantastic, so I’m glad I could be of assistance to her.”
Jackson-Brown expressed her excitement about being able to work with Ball State students on her production.
“I am especially excited that through my working with these two students who happen to be young women, I get the opportunity to say our production was produced and led by strong women who have ties with Ball State,” Jackson-Brown said. “Now that is a winning combination.”
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