Meet the student designers of Doubt: A parable
Three well-rounded students take on our faculty-directed season opener.
The production team of Doubt: A Parable is gearing up to open our 2017-2018 season in October, and at the helm of the design process are three talented Loyola students: senior Nathan Kubik, senior Natalie Santoro, and 2017 alum Shain Longbehn. You may recognize these names from their work on stage; most recently, Kubik played Lord Montague in Romeo and Juliet, Santoro played Arlie in Getting Out, and Longbehn played the Trainer in Elephant’s Graveyard. Longbehn praises Loyola’s liberal arts program for encouraging students to be well-rounded theatre artists: “[Loyola] allowed me to continue to cultivate my versatility. Like my fellow designers, I have more talents outside of designing. I am also a singer, composer, actor, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and electrician. No other school would let me pursue all of them.”
All three designers expanded the skills they have honed at Loyola by working on shows this summer. Kubik directed a production of Tarzan at Spotlight Studio in Monroe, Michigan. Santoro worked at Timber Lake Playhouse, where she was Scenic Designer and Scenic Charge for Ah, Wilderness!, Scapino!, and Little Shop of Horrors, as well as Scenic Charge for Mary Poppins, Evita, and Carousel. Longbehn was Sound Designer for Luz Estrada at Mercy Street Theatre, Master Electrician for Brave Like Them at About Face, and Assistant Music Director of The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier at Permoveo and Pride Films and Plays. Freshly spinning with creativity, the trio has excitedly taken on John Patrick Shanley’s drama under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Wilson.
Doubt takes place in a Catholic school in 1964 Bronx, a setting which has sparked much inspiration. In addition to mentioning the importance of “drawing parallels between the time period and context [Doubt] is set in to . . . today,” Kubik reflects, “I grew up in Catholic schooling and going to Mass weekly, so I have enjoyed working closely with a play that I am familiar with the world that it takes place in.” Longbehn finds such personal insights to be integral to the production process: “I appreciate the sincerity and honesty from everyone's perspectives. The diversity of ages and experiences in the Catholic church—both good and bad—will lead to a thorough and touching production.”
Moving forward, Longbehn is eager to “play with the idea of secrets, whispers, and echoes.” He explains, “In a church, all sound travels and echoes. You can hear a pin drop from 200 feet away. The effect leads to beautiful ceremony, but nothing you do or say is a secret. I am investigating church acoustics and how it plays into the collective Catholic psyche of secrets and truth. I hope to make the quietest sounds seem big and everlasting.” Longbehn just graduated this past May, but he already has upcoming gigs as the Sound Designer of Franklinland at Jackalope Theatre Company in January and the Sound Designer of Women Laughing Alone With Salad at Theatre Wit in March.
Loyola Theatre builds connections and camaraderie in a way that sets students up for success. Santoro cites her peers as key to the community: “They are not only creative and kind, but also the most hardworking group of people I've ever met in my life.” Kubik agrees, citing the “family feel among students and teachers” as what makes the program special.
