Collegiate Times

?I have never been so moved before by any stage performance,? said Maggie Clifford, sophomore interdisciplinary studies major. Clifford was talking about the Dec. 1 performance of the workshop production of ?Wit,? presented by the Virginia Tech Department of Theatre Arts.

The play, written by Margaret Edson, was performed from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 at various show times, including two performances Dec. 4 and a post-show panel discussion with professionals in the field of cancer treatment Dec. 2. The play?s content dealt with one woman?s eight-month fight against cancer, starting with the diagnosis of terminal ovarian cancer, moving on to her experimental treatment and ending with her death, said Julia Debo, a freshman double major in theatre arts and English.

Admission was free, and donations to the American Cancer Society were accepted at all performances.

Dec. 1 at Squires Studio Theater, a line had formed to get into the production and every seat in the audience was filled. Tech?s own Susanna Rinehart, an associate professor in the department of theater arts, beautifully portrayed the main character, Vivian Bearing, a professor of seventeenth-century poetry who specializes in John Donne?s Holy Sonnets.

Rinehart actually shaved her head to play the role of Dr. Bearing. ?(I) donated the 10 inches of hair I cut off to ?Locks of Love? ? a charitable organization which makes wigs for chemotherapy patients,? Rinehart said. ?I believe it is the most radical thing I?ve done to my body for a role. However ? it was not a hard choice. It is a huge honor to play this role.?

Bearing infused John Donne?s metaphysical poetry into her approach to her disease. ?As she, like Donne, struggles with the idea of life and death, she begins to seek the attention she denied her students,? Debo said. ?Donne?s poetry provides a backdrop for the transformation Vivian undergoes.? Debo performed various roles throughout the play, such as technician, student and resident.

Sarah Chandler, a third-year master of fine arts student, was the director. She, as well as other cast members, was personally affected by the play, ?My grandmother has been living with cancer for about 15 years ? They told her about three years ago that she had six weeks to live,? Chandler said. ?It just goes to show how much we don?t know yet and this show provided an opportunity to spread awareness and to raise money for more research and help.?

The play was not meant for the light-hearted, Chandler said. ?(The play) is not easy to watch. You don?t walk away singing or snapping,? Chandler explained. ?You walk away exhausted. You go through eight months of experimental cancer treatment and an emotional and spiritual awakening with the lead character ? it is definitely not easy.?

Rinehart portrayed the harsh side of Bearing, as well as the human side, and she did it effortlessly. The audience sympathized with Bearing and many audience members were in tears at the end of the play. The cast received a standing ovation.

?(That was) a play I wish everyone could have seen. The message is very influential to all people everywhere,? said Avery Cousins, a sophomore Spanish major.The cast, made up of Rinehart, Bob Porter, Adam Breske, Jennifer Glenny, Ranae Gillie, Bryan Breau, Julia Debo, Rob Laudenslager, and Lindsey Matteson, had been rehearsing since early October. The cast and crew did an extraordinary job of carrying out the play.