On Thursday, UTRGV’s Theatre department will premiere “Get Out and Play: A Play About Playing,” a play about children who are sent on a quest to get their Wi-Fi password back.
Mark Rodriguez, who wrote the play, is an alumnus of the Theatre department. “Get Out and Play” has a special message for the audience to value family and not be on phones too much.
“I really enjoyed the message of the script,” student director and theatre senior Sabrina Rodriguez said. “… It was definitely a story that I wanted to tell. … When I was given the opportunity to be able to direct it, I knew that I definitely wanted to execute it.”
The student director said actors prepared by using tongue twisters and other acting exercises. They also paid attention to their characters’ specific personality traits, age, appearance and background.
“We ask that they keep those things in the back of their mind to influence their characters and their characters’ choices throughout the show,” she said.
The cast consists of eight people, including UTRGV students Rick Guajardo, Jesus Salaiz, Jonathan Tamez, Gabriela Perales and Paulina Solis, and alumni Lauriel Perez, Kimmy Narro and Bialca Aenna.
Solis is the play’s female lead, Jenny. She said it is easy for her to relate to her character, who is also an older sister just like her.
She also related to the play’s theme of not prioritizing phones.
“My parents are always working,” Solis said. “They’re always on their phone. … I just took from my real life, and I was able to connect with it in that way.”
She said she liked how her character grows throughout the play.
Rodriguez also said her favorite part of the play is Jenny’s heartfelt moment at the end.
The cast has been rehearsing for a month. The costume designer created 11 costumes.
“[The audience] should look out for the extravagant characters, the ones that are coming out from the imagination,” the student director said.
The costume designing process was extensive. After reading the script, Roman Rossetti, a UTRGV theatre sophomore and the play’s costume designer, said he had to make initial thumbnails, or rough sketches. Although the cast has eight people, a couple of characters require multiple costumes. After sketches were completed and approved, Rossetti made final renderings in watercolor.
“A lot of my inspiration came from storybook characters,” said Rossetti, who also drew inspiration from the story’s plot. “Since the play is about a quest set in place by the parents, I definitely wanted to go for a whimsical, yet sort of realistic touch.”
“Get Out and Play” will be performed at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre on the Edinburg campus. Admission is $5.
